Talks to End Strike Flop on Broadway

Stagehands, producers agree to meet this weekend

(NEWSER) - The stagehands striking on Broadway will resume talks with theater producers this weekend, the New York Times reports. The two sides were tight-lipped about whether the meeting would end the five-day strike, which has closed 27 shows on the Great White Way. But Michael Bloomberg called the negotiations “a very important step forward.” 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»

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»

(NEWSER) - Neil Patrick Harris will host the Tony Awards tomorrow night, and the New York Times caught up with the actor to talk about him and the show:

• How involved is Harris? "I have a lot of say in what comes out of my mouth. There are writers on the show, obviously, but the last thing I want is to come across like I walked in the afternoon of, and stand there and read a teleprompter. ... I want the jokes to sound like they’re coming out of my mouth. I might sing. We’ll see."

(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»