You could practically hear Mayor Michael Bloomberg dancing on Nov. 28 when the Broadway stagehands union strike came to a close following a 10-hour wage negotiation with the League of American Theater Producers. Although, he couldn't help resolve it as he did with the 2003 musicians' strike.
For 19 long days, Broadway was dark - the longest duration in recent history. Local One, the union behind the strike, reached a tentative agreement over its contractual dispute. According to Playbill.com, neither party was completely satisfied. "The producers were able to eliminate some long-standing work rules, decreasing the number of men needed for show load-ins, but other labor requirements were left in place. The stagehands, meanwhile, lost some jobs, but got a healthy pay raise, stretched over five years, in return."
For each day that the strike lasted, New York City lost upwards of $2 million. This number was probably larger, as theaters were closed during the Thanksgiving holidays, which traditionally hosts the year's largest number of tourists. The new contract will be officially voted on Dec. 9. Doors to shows opened immediately following the announcement of the agreement and have been playing since. Is it entirely over? No. But considering the finances at stake, it will be.
On Nov. 29, the theater community gathered in full force to celebrate the return of neon lights on Manhattan's most famous street. Their response: a performance simply titled "Broadway's Back!" The Marriot Marquis theater housed the occasion, which was hosted by powerhouses Bernadette Peters and Angela Lansbury. Doors to the theater opened at 11:30 a.m. for a free show at noon. New York was hungry for the return of part of its soul.
Lansbury performed the Christmas song that she made famous - Mame's "We Need a Little Christmas." Amazingly, her vocal pipes were still able to command the tune's original key. Watching her made me fall in love with theater in an even deeper way.
Now that the dark is over, I implore you to go and see a Broadway performance over Christmas break or whenever the opportunity may arise. Discover what the magic is all about.
2008 Woodie Awards
