The strike is over!

For those of you keeping track, the 19-day Local One Broadway stagehand strike is over (hear the sigh of relief?). A tentative agreement was reached yesterday. The New York shows affected by the strike will be back on stage starting tonight. You can read more about the strike and resolution here.

Now if we could only end the writer strike... I'm missing good (aka non-reality) TV and I don't like it!

Still no deal with Broadway negotiations

Just the financial impact alone:

The (New York) city comptroller’s office has said that the strike, which began Nov. 10, costs the city $2 million a day, but officials from the League of American Theaters and Producers place the cost much higher. Last year, Broadway pulled in around $42 million in grosses over Thanksgiving week and the week before.

Check out the full story here.

First the writers – now the stage hands

Every role in a show is critical, from the actor to the caterer to the lighting designer to the wardrobe hand. As Hollywood writers went on strike this week we learned just how critical the written word is to the survival of our favorite shows. If I don’t get some The Daily Show soon – my withdrawals are going to get violent.

Now Broadway is going to face a similar crisis. Just as Young Frankenstein celebrated a star studded opening night last night – tonight – they may be dark. New York Post is reporting that Local One has walked away from the negotiating table and could strike as early as this evening.

If you aren’t familiar – Local One represents the stage hands of Broadway, they are camera operators, they are set builders, they are the lifeline of Broadway.

The Post reported the negotiations as follows:

There were "a lot of 'f--- yous' " flying back and forth, a source close to the talks said.

I don’t know that much about good communication skills – but I know that’s not going to get them very far.

Here’s hoping they work things out – Union Now! Union Forever!

- Norma Rae

- aka Kari G.