You'll See the Lights Go Out on Broadway

Stagehands begin strike, shut down most shows
By Sam Gale Rosen,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 10, 2007 9:37 AM CST
You'll See the Lights Go Out on Broadway
Equipment is being loaded into the Richard Rogers theater for the production of "Cyrano" Thursday, Sept. 27, 2007, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, file)   (Associated Press)

Most Broadway shows will be closed today as stagehands begin a strike over new work rules. The move comes after three months of negotiations, reports Reuters, and only off-Broadway shows and a few large productions with their own contracts are spared. Theater officials predict the strike will last only a few days, but union members say it could be weeks.

Producers will issue refunds for canceled shows, the first of which is the Grinch, the New York Times reports. The rules in question govern how many stagehands must work on a particular show and how long they're on the clock. Theater officials say current rules require them to pay for a lot of downtime. (More strike stories.)

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