No Lockout for Broadway During Oct. 12-14 Weekend

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/12/07 at 3:37pm

"After meeting with members of Local One on Oct. 11, the League of American Theatres and Producers have announced the lights of Broadway will not go dark during the Oct. 12-14 weekend.

A lockout by Broadway producers and theatre owners, which many theatre insiders considered a likely possibility after final offers from both parties were rejected on Oct. 9, will not occur the weekend of Oct. 12.

On Oct. 12, Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of the League of American Theatres and Producers, issued the following statement: "This weekend, the shows will go on. All Broadway theatregoers who have tickets should come in and enjoy the performances. To those of you who have followed media reports of the Broadway contract negotiations with Local One and have heard that we may be shutting down today or over the weekend, we want to assure you that that is not the case."


http://www.playbill.com/news/article/111865.html

[jaystarr]

Posted: 10/12/07 at 3:38pm

great !

[bially082]

Posted: 10/12/07 at 5:03pm

YAY!

[roadmixer]

Posted: 10/12/07 at 5:12pm

http://www.nypost.com/seven/10122007/entertainment/theater/backstage_whispers.htm?page=1

[outovfashion07]

Posted: 10/12/07 at 5:17pm

We had a guest speaker this morning in school and she mentioned being a part of the League so after the lecture I approached her and asked her about the situation and if she had any new information. She said she had been at most of the negotiations and that it wasnt looking good. I asked her about the possibility of a lockout and she said "not this weekend". But the look on her face said "very soon".

She also talked to me about some of the demands that both sides are making and, while I'm sure her side was biased, she made Local One's points seem awfully rediculous. Is there anyone here from local One that could possibly shed a little light on exactly what the problem is?

[justafan2]

Posted: 10/12/07 at 6:09pm

Yay! but.......
My tickets are for NEXT weekend! (Saturday!)
Help!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/12/07 at 6:16pm

The final outcome of this will be what it always is, strike or no strike - higher ticket prices.

The theater going public will be the losers & take it on the chin as they always do. To quote Oliver "Please sir, I want some more".

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 10/12/07 at 9:41pm

"The final outcome of this will be what it always is, strike or no strike - higher ticket prices.

The theater going public will be the losers & take it on the chin as they always do. To quote Oliver "Please sir, I want some more".

But thank goodness, no other prices have risen over the past 3 years. Right, Roxy?

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 10/12/07 at 10:10pm

I wish the Producers would just throw the whole idea of a Lockout off the table. They are pushing to cause a strike, so why this threat too? The Union is fighting for jobs the Producers don't want to be obligated to support. The Union is obligated to support its members, so they are really pushing the Union into a corner.

I only hope some Holiday Spirit shows up soon. It is so sad to see all of this happening at this time of year. The winter season is right around the corner and heating prices are so high. My hopes are with you and I hope a strike can be averted.

Prices are still regulated by supply and demand. They can't raise those ticket prices too much if they want to fill all of those big theaters. They have already put through an increase lately. The economy is slowing down so they will get pressure from that end to help us Theatre goers some. Not much but it might help us some in the long run.

[winston89]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 1:23am

The whole idea of a lockout is just going to have the producers taunt the union. It is safe to say that a lockout will lead to a strike.


If there is a lockout then that is the producers way of saying that the union is just being flat out silly. If there is a strike it is the union's way of showing the producers that they have the upper hand and that they are holding the cards. If there is a strike it would cause the producers to cave in because they will realize how much money they are loosing.


On a side note, I stopped by the Jacobs in passing the other day while they are loading in for Rock N Roll. I spoke to the very friendly stagehands there about the issue. They pretty much said that as of right now they are working but intentionally taking thier sweet ass time because they felt that the producers should be thankful that they are even working at this point as oppose to striking.

[Tkt2Ride]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 4:34am

This is just what I was afraid of after reading the Producers where trying to cut back on load in crews. The one example they gave us was a reasonable issue. If the person was not needed because of the shows set-up that made some sense. I knew from experience though that it had to be a lot more than just that. The Union is trying to protect their employees job security and safety levels. I could tell the Producers were trying to force the Union's hand by offering no other option but to accept their terms. So now here we have more bad news. A strike is now more real. This too is a typical Union tactic when negotiations have reached a stand still. So don't panic yet.

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/111881.html

Even with this news though, it might still be avoided. I only hope so for everyone's sake.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 10:34am

Hey just, remember that theater is a luxury

I think if you start with 1970 & go forward the price of a theater ticket than & now way outpaces inflation. You think people will just continue to pay whatever ticket prices are. People seeing shows 40 or 50 times makes producers feel that people will pay outrageous prices to see a show once.

People have to buy food but they do not have to see a show. Somepeople on this board may very well opt out of eating just so they can see a show for the 30 th time.

What I am trying to say is you want to justify price increases. Next time you buy gas or buy food & prices have gone up remember this logic. Why do people wait on line for TKTS & use discounts wherever possible. Duh, the prices are too high

Updated On: 10/13/07 at 10:34 AM

[jordangirl]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 10:43am

Roxy ~ I totally agree with the way prices have risen ~ across the board but exponentially so with ticket prices. In 1988, I was on a UN Study Tour and we saw THREE Broadway shows and one off-Broadway. Now, they're lucky if they can add ONE show into the schedule and still keep the trip affordable.

Yes, it's a luxury, but it's one some of us enjoy.

[jaystarr]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 10:49am

How about next weekend ? bec. I have tickets for Farnsworth Invention & Young Frankenstein.... oh my !

J*

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 10:49am

The question is for how much longer

Sometimes union members have to face reality & changes. Just ask the workers at the big 3 automakers.

Both sides should get together & the union should say we will agree to this if you agree to hold down ticket prices so people can go. If the producers tell them no than the union should say screw them.

Both sides are in the same leaky boat.Keep raising prices so more people can no longer attend just keeps adding holes to the boat until it eventually sinks.

By the way, do you feel at some point the will raise prices so much that no matter how much you like it you can no longer afford it?

Updated On: 10/13/07 at 10:49 AM

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 11:57am

"Next time you buy gas or buy food & prices have gone up remember this logic. Why do people wait on line for TKTS & use discounts wherever possible. Duh, the prices are too high"

Or it could also be, that like most people, they prefer to pay less when they can. If the ticket prices were lowered, people would still go to TKTS & use discounts. No one likes to pay full price for anything. Some people prefer not to use TKTS or discounts because they want to sit in a certain area. But, if you put all the tickets on TKTS as well as at the box office, how many people do you think would actually go to the box office and pay full price?

"Sometimes union members have to face reality & changes. Just ask the workers at the big 3 automakers.

Both sides should get together & the union should say we will agree to this if you agree to hold down ticket prices so people can go. If the producers tell them no than the union should say screw them."

Did the auto workers go to the automakers and tell them that if they hold the price of cars down, they'll agree to their demands? I seriously doubt it. It's not the responsibility of the unions to insure lower cost for the consumer. It's the unions responsibility to try and get the best possible deal they can for their members. The majority of the costs for any Broadway show are for advertising...not labor. When the producers start going to the newspapers, TV,radio stations and other media outlets demanding that they lower advertising prices, then they will actually begin to lower production costs. Constantly blaming all the financial ills on the unions, is simply P.R. and has very little to do with the reality of the cost of producing.

[Studmuffn520]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 12:05pm

i have tickets for next weekend too. im finally getting to see spring awakening! ugh i pray that this strike doesnt happen

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 12:07pm

JayStarr,

Remember that Young Frankenstein is unafftected in the case of a lockout or strike (The Hilton is owned by Clear Channel which has a separate contract with the union). The Farnsworth Invention however WOULD be affected.

[WhatYouOwn27]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 12:09pm

this is about the stage crew strike right?

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 12:09pm

"I only hope some Holiday Spirit shows up soon."

Sure, put that into one hand and crap in the other, and you'll still only have a handful of crap.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 12:18pm

I just read something in my local paper about on the 21st there will be a vote on the strike. Would they vote before the shows or after? ( i am trying to decide whether or not to buy tickets for the 21st or not)

[pab]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 12:21pm

If there is not a lockout by the producers, it is unlikely that any strike action would happen until the end of the month, after a number of the new shows have been loaded in.

Local One has scheduled a strike vote for Oct. 21st, once that vote has been taken there is a 10-day process before a strike could actually be implemented so that should keep Broadway up and running at least until the end of the month.


Playbill Article

Updated On: 10/13/07 at 12:21 PM

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 12:52pm

For anyone who's interested. I found this while "googling" for Broadway Budgets. It's a lengthy but interesting read, and breaks down the Production Cost for four different types of productions: Broadway, Off-Broadway (commercial), Off-Broadway (non-profit) and Off-Off Broadway.

This pie chart comes from that document. The report was compiled in 2002, but is should give a fairly good idea of current production cost. There are more charts, graphs and breakdowns within the document.


Entire Document

[bugmenot]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 3:17pm

interesting that the figures in that pie chart cite Broadway ticket prices of $25 to $70....and the paper's date is 2002. That's quite a rise in top-ticket price in not many years.

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 10/13/07 at 3:41pm

From the Wall Street Journal - Oct. 2005

"A Broadway seat for $110? Mamma mia!

Three of New York's most popular musicals boosted their top everyday ticket price 10% this month -- exceeding the $100 ceiling that had held steady for more than four years. "Monty Python's Spamalot" kicked off the move. Two other hit musicals, "Mamma Mia!" and "Wicked," quickly followed suit, and other shows are expected to match the price. The increase was the first since "The Producers" spurred a wave of $100 tickets in April 2001."

"Across Broadway, the average price paid for a ticket increased roughly 8%, accounting for inflation, from the 2000-01 season to 2002-03, while production expenses rose 10%.

The three shows that made the move to $110 are among Broadway's most popular. All three play to nearly sold-out houses nightly, with "Spamalot" about 102% full in recent weeks (meaning a person in every seat and some folks standing). On Oct. 6, the show's producers announced they had recouped their initial investment. A spokesman for "Wicked" says steady demand over its two-year run was behind the price increase, while a "Mamma Mia!" spokesman blamed rising expenses. A spokesman for "Spamalot" declined to comment on the change.

Compared with other forms of entertainment, Broadway's recent increases are small. The average price for an NFL ticket rose 24% between 2001 and 2005, according to Team Marketing Report, which tracks sports marketing data. Average concert prices rose 19% from 2001 to 2004, according to Pollstar, a music market-research firm."
FULL TEXT