Can you believe they canceled all those Broadway shows for thanksgiving weekend??

Question

i was supposed to go see Wicked on Saturday and am very upset that no one was willing to compromise! so much for the show must go on....

Answer 1

Sorry you're upset, but maybe you should write to the producers of the shows and tell them to pay fair wages and hire enough stagehands to staff their shows in the first place.

The following is my opinion:
The producers don't want to give up any profit. You know how much you paid for those tickets, right? The producers make the bulk of the money, not the stagehands obviously. Producers skimp where they can including not hiring enough stagehands leaving them understaffed and overworked especially where it comes to opening and closing a show where the most labor is involved. The producers want to be able to continue to skimp or skimp even more most likely including the hiring on non-union stagehands. Union stagehands could lose jobs and benefits if producers get their way, but producers will not lose profits in fact their profit margin may get bigger... see how the rich get richer?

OK, I'm done for now.
Marianne

Answer 2

Just to point out the opposite side of the coin (not because I particularly believe it), the producers are claiming that they pay workers who are doing nothing, because of already-strict union rules. Having worked in a union theater briefly, all I can say is that it was in fact a running joke that the union forced the producers to bring 15 guys to load in even though the work was done by about four of them; the other 11 each having some token job to do but receiving equal pay.

I won't go so far as to say I sympathize with the producers, but these kinds of jokes come from somewhere, so I would believe that there are abuses ON BOTH SIDES that need to be addressed before a fair settlement can be reached.

Answer 3

Yeah, that's too bad, but not every show is on strike. Check this link for details on Broadway and off-Broadway shows playing...

http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=556310