| Broadway has 2nd day of dark theaters
It was a second day of dark Broadway theaters and disappointed audiences as striking stagehands reaffirmed their commitment Sunday to remain off the job until producers started acting "honorably" at the negotiating table. James J. Claffey Jr., president of Local One, said the League of American Theatres and Producers needs to make a "constructive" adjustment to its counter offers. "We want respect at the table," he said at a somber news conference. "If there's no respect, they will not see Local One at the table. The lack of respect is something we are not going to deal with." Twenty-seven shows remained closed Sunday, the day after stagehands went on strike, shutting down such popular productions as "Wicked," "The Phantom of the Opera," "Hairspray," "Jersey Boys" and "Mamma Mia!" Among the shows canceled Sunday was a gala 10th-year anniversary performance of "The Lion King," although a party celebrating the Disney musical's decade-long run was still being held.
Striking stagehands close 27 shows on Broadway
NEW YORK - It was a second day of dark Broadway theaters and disappointed audiences as striking stagehands reaffirmed their commitment yesterday to remain off the job until producers started acting "honorably" at the negotiating table. James J. Claffey Jr., president of Local One, said the League of American Theatres and Producers needs to make a "constructive" adjustment to its counter offers. "We want respect at the table," he said at a somber news conference. "If there's no respect, they will not see Local One at the table. The lack of respect is something we are not going to deal with." Twenty-seven shows remained closed yesterday, the day after stagehands went on strike, shutting down such popular productions as "Wicked," "The Phantom of the Opera," "Hairspray," "Jersey Boys," and "Mamma Mia!" Among the shows canceled yesterday was a gala 10th-year anniversary performance of "The Lion King," although a party celebrating the Disney musical's decade-long run was still being held.
A dramatic new approach to the theatrical docudrama
Scottish military veterans recall the pride of their fabled regiment and their fateful, disillusioning service in Iraq. New Yorkers reflect on the disappearance of valued objects and the loss of cherished loved ones. These are shorthand descriptions of two unusual New York hit shows. One is "Black Watch," an exhilarating import from the National Theatre of Scotland, which just finished a run at St. Ann's Warehouse, a Brooklyn theater venue. "Gone Missing" is a diverting original piece by the inventive young troupe The Civilians, now at Off Broadway's Barrow Street Theatre in an extended run through Jan. 6. Though dissimilar in some respects, both pieces reflect a theatrical trend that's steadily gathered steam in recent decades: the rise of documentary drama.
Broadway producers, union feel pressure to strike a deal
NEW YORK -- With the prospect of lucrative Thanksgiving holiday grosses evaporating, Broadway's stagehands and producers have a pressing reason to resolve their differences and find a way to end the strike that has shut down most Broadway shows for a week. .
TV Land Premieres 1974 Comedy Classic, Young Frankenstein on November 2
TV Land is celebrating the Broadway opening of Mel Brooks' new musical Young Frankenstein with a series of events on-air, online and off-air. TVLand.com, the network's revamped website, is offering a trip to New York City to see the highly anticipated production and will feature original interviews with the Broadway cast including Megan Mullally, Andrea Martin and more. TV Land will also show the network premiere of the original 1974 comedic masterpiece, Young Frankenstein. .
Striking Broadway stagehands, producers to resume talks today
NEW YORK (AP) - With the prospect of lucrative Thanksgiving holiday grosses evaporating, Broadway's stagehands and producers have a pressing reason to resolve their differences and find a way to end the strike that has shut down Broadway shows for a week. Negotiations between the stagehands union, known as Local One, and the League of American Theatres and Producers were to resume Saturday at an undisclosed location. Both sides last talked Nov. 8, two days before the union walked off the job, closing 27 plays and musicals. Local One and the league would not comment on the resumption of talks. The stagehands, who include scenery and prop handlers, carpenters, electricians, and lighting and sound technicians, have been working without a contract since the end of July.
Play on plays
After several years of redecorating and organ practice, I, the Phantom of the Opera, have returned to some all-too-familiar haunting grounds - Chicago. And with a ten-week stint at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, I will remind the White City why I've thrived so many years.
Unlike recent famous masked men, my mask doesn't need to stand for noble ideas, for principles and beliefs that topple regimes and inspire the masses. My mask stands for an even nobler cause: pure, unrestrained vanity, in the vainest of forms. What else can ignite the heart of man more than a tug at the strings of his physical insecurities?
But alas, my vanity is well-fed. My escapades in my show have earned an estimated $3.2 billion in ticket sales, according to my official Web site. My show is the longest running in Broadway history, finally toppling my great rival Cats in the middle of last year.
Paducah's Annual Veteran's Day Parade
Veteran's Day is always on November 11th. With the 11th being a Sunday, some communities are celebrating early. Paducah honored veterans today with the annual Veteran's Day parade. The parade covered about 15 blocks on Broadway. Veteran, Herman Earl Feezor served as grand marshal. Make sure you get out to an event, thank a veteran, and show your patriotism. .
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