Broadway Stagehands, Producers Plan Talks

Shows canceled through Thanksgiving; both sides glum

(NEWSER) - The lights of the Great White Way remain dark after talks to end the nine-day strike by Broadway stagehands broke off last night when producers abruptly walked out of negotiations. The 27 shows affected by the strike are now canceled through Nov. 25, costing Broadway the lucrative Thanksgiving weekend, the Los Angeles Times reports. More»

Stagehands begin strike, shut down most shows

(NEWSER) - 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. More»

(NEWSER) - Billionaire New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg added to a growing store of off-the-cuff comments yesterday when he defended the Obamas’ theater outing to his Big Apple by saying the president “lives on a budget,” the Times reports. Obama, who makes $400,000 a year, “does not get paid that much,” Bloomberg continued, before clarifying his comments. “The president is worth a lot more than we pay him.” More»

Hope of deal emerges as sides 'working hard' to negotiate

(NEWSER) - The curtain may be falling on the Broadway stagehands' strike, as producers and union reps sat down yesterday in an effort to resolve the dispute for the first time in a week. The marathon session, which carried into this morning, had both sides cautiously optimistic, reports Newsday: "I think we're going to be able to make a deal," said the head of negotiations for one of three theater owners affected by the strike. More»

Actor steps out of character to confront audience member

(NEWSER) - Don't mess with the wolverine. Miffed Hugh Jackman stopped his Broadway play in its tracks to tell an audience member to turn off his cell phone. Jackman suddenly pulled out of character and asked the errant cell-phone user: "Do you want to get that?" while the the gadget rang. "Just turn it off. We can wait," he added while the rest of the audience applauded. The phone, mercifully, finally stopped after several rings. Jackman, 40, is starring with Daniel Craig in A Steady Rain, a play about Chicago cops. More»