Who is REALLY affected by the strike? Oh, those POOR tourists!

[shermanslave]

I am so sick of the television news crews interviewing the tourists and asking them how the strike affects them. It doesn't do anything except inconvenience and disappoint them. They get their money back and go see a show not closed. Or shop. Or whatever. What about the 1000's of people on Broadway who are NOT in the stagehand union but are now out of work? The dressers who now have to worry that they will earn enough money by December 1st to insure their insurance next year? And the actors who are in less than stable shows that may not reopen if the strike goes on too long. And the ushers and the concession workers. It's so unfair. I am all about the right to strike and understand their reasons. I just wish more people would focus on the workers this affects rather than the lady from Iowa on NY1 who says she doesn't know what she'll do now.

[Bwayfan4]

Maybe the lady from Iowa should check out (God forbid) an off-Broadway show...or even a museum!

[westcoast_wannabe]

Is there a museum based on a movie?

[dramarama2]

Or maybe the rest of the city?

[Bwayfan4]

Agreed, dramarama. I mean, she came ALL the way from Iowa...

[rosscoe(au)]

I can understand the news reports looking to the tourist trade for comments.For me it's a 17,000km/26 hour flight to New York and why i do understand that this affects more than just the stagehands. My whole trip would be ruined if i arrived during a strike.

[dramarama2]

Maybe she'll book a flight back to Iowa? I mean munching away at Corn on a cob is SO much more exciting than NY!

[Bwayfan4]

I hear you rosscoe, but I think it's a shame IF you flew 17,000km JUST to see Broadway shows and not enjoy the rest of the city.

[dramarama2]

Yeah. NY corn sucks compared to Iowa corn!

[rosscoe(au)]

Trust me i would see the rest of the city, but seeing shows would be the the main reason i would go to New York.

[dramarama2]

Me too, but seriously, Iowa corn is ****ing awesome!

[rosscoe(au)]

And so are the men!

[dramarama2]

Yep. Gotta love those moustaches!

[rosscoe(au)]

Was not Mel from Iowa?

[Bwayfan4]

I am just curious...how long can the srike afford to go on? (realistically)

Should I be expecting to refund my tickets for next weekend as well? My thought was that a strike would probably last less than a week...once everyone relizes that everyone is losing money.

[MaronaDavies]

I'm sure that if you have come a long way and you've anticipated seeing a special show, it's a real disappointment to miss it. That's life, though. The issues are more important that entertainment for tourists. I've been in European countries where strikes have essentially shut down everything in the city from mass transit to museums. Nobody apologizes to the tourists.

And it isn't as if Broadway's the only thing in the entire city to do. It isn't even as if all the performing arts in the city have shut down. There's so much to do in this city.

[Lynnespock2]

Is there a museum based on a movie?

Yes, it's called the Museum of the Moving Image in Long Island City.

How does one quote from this board? I can't find anything in the posting that allows you to do this.

[Lynnespock2]

Mel is from Brooklyn, but maybe there is a Brooklyn in Iowa, although I highly doubt it!

[broadwayjim42]

I can see the little kids going to "grinch" crying right now.

I usually arrange my trips around shows too but leave a whole day at least to wander around the city. Broadway may be the draw, but there's so much more to see. I've been going for 25 years and I'm still discovering new things.

Anyway, how does this affect TKTS? Just selling the few shows available and off-Bradway?

[DoranC]

Tourist bashing may be fun, true enough. But without them a lot fewer of these people would have jobs in the first place.

[nygrl23]

"Is there a museum based on a movie?"

LOL! And also rather sad at the same time.

Mel's from Iowa? So's Captain Kirk! They've both been in movies about space and they both have big egos. Must be somethin' special in that Iow-ay corn.

The grand attractions in NYC are nice, but the out of the way stuff is more memorable. It doesn't take a lot to ask around and find the smaller shows, shops, eateries and other city elements that don't glow in neon on the map.

A bit OT, but I wonder how long the 1975 strike lasted...

[majortom1981]

The strike affects more then just tourists. It will effect all the restaraunts in the area. It will also effect alot of the stores and the taxis too. This strike effects all of manhattan. Not just tourists.

[Boq101]

Broadway.com still hasn't acknoledged the strike...at all...

[DoranC]

"The issues are more important that entertainment for tourists."

Except that the Broadway stagehands industry is pretty much ALL ABOUT entertainment for tourists.

[shesamarshmallow]

I feel bad for the tourists. If I had flown here and Broadway was shut down, I would be absolutely devastated - I used to plan week vacations around seeing eleven shows.

All the actors and ushers working on Broadway are in unions who will compensate them somewhat for lost work during the strike. I work merchandise, and am simply out of luck and a job until Broadway's back. And yet, I still kind of feel worse for the mes of a year ago, whose dreams of seeing Drowsy and Curtains are now dashed.