Chances of a Strike?- Page 5

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/21/25 at 12:24pm

auroraspice62 said: "Observation said: "ChairinMain said: "So hypothetically lets say the musicians but not AEA goes on strike. Musicals are effected (except Ragtime), most plays are uneffected. "Oh Mary" features an actor who plays piano onstage - Would that be shuttered as well?"

Following up on this query I didn't see an answer to. If musician's strike, will that affect "Oh,Mary!""

The press release lists the shows that will be affected."

“A strike of Broadway musicians would likely leave much of the Main Stem's musicals dark. Per press notes from Local 802, their strike would affect Broadway's & Juliet, Aladdin, Beetlejuice, The Book of Mormon, Buena Vista Social Club, Chess, Chicago, Death Becomes Her, The Great Gatsby, Hadestown, Hamilton, Hell's Kitchen, Just in Time, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Maybe Happy Ending, Operation Mincemeat, MJ The Musical, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Outsiders, The Queen of Versailles, SIX: The Musical, and Wicked. 

Ragtime, running on Broadway via Lincoln Center Theater, would not be affected by a musicians' strike due to the show operating on a separate, not-for-profit contract. 

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/21/25 at 12:33pm

Also, depending on if a strike happens and for how long, it could affect new shows coming in as well, such as TWO STRANGERS (since I can’t imagine the musicians are rehearsing during a strike), as well as heavily impact shows in previews that are in precarious positions (QOV), and shows that have a front-heavy advance the first few weeks (CHESS)

Updated On: 10/21/25 at 12:33 PM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 10/21/25 at 12:51pm

It's also worth noting that three shows have a scheduled New Jersey Night discount performance for Thursday - & JULIET, CHICAGO, and THE OUTSIDERS - which are all now at great risk of being postponed / cancelled.

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/21/25 at 1:18pm

I got indications from a few friends that we should know Thursday or Friday. We will see.

[KKeller6]

Posted: 10/21/25 at 1:30pm

Kad said: "...that article entirely undercuts what you're claiming by breaking down what that money went to."

 

Remember when Chrysler and GM were about to go bankrupt? In the same way that the federal government came in to bail out auto companies, it’s doing the same thing for all of show business with this legislation,” he said. “It’s returning us to health and it’s protecting the well-being of our employees.”

 

"Seller said that none of the money would go to the show’s producers (including him) or its investors, and none would be used as royalties for artists (including the show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda)."

 

Please. You know better than this. I've read your posts. You're an intelligent guy.  The money doesn't have to go directly into their pockets.  But the money they would have spent on rehearsals they no longer have to spend. So, it's indirectly in their pockets. 

claiming the money is returning his show to" health" is utterly ridiculous. I mean it holds no weight whatsoever. 

"Instead, he said, the money will be used to remount the shuttered productions"

 

Hamilton sat in the theatre untouched and needed a day of two of work to get ready technically wise. And most of that work was dusting off the non existent set. 

 

Advertisement

 

Updated On: 10/21/25 at 01:30 PM

[hicaesar]

Posted: 10/21/25 at 2:01pm

does anyone know what the musicians are asking for and why they are unhappy?

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 10/21/25 at 4:56pm

A Hamilton conspiracy theorist wasn’t on my bingo card for this fall, but here we are. 

[uncamark]

Posted: 10/21/25 at 5:11pm

GiantsInTheSky2 said: "A Hamilton conspiracy theorist wasn’t on my bingo card for this fall, but here we are."

It must be dump-on-Lin-Manuel time. Does that mean we can stop dumping on Kristin?

[kdogg36]

Posted: 10/21/25 at 5:15pm

MemorableUserName said: "(yes, Broadway landlords continued to seek rent from producers during the pandemic)"

Did the landlords really continue to collect rent when the theaters couldn't be used for the purpose for which they were rented? Now that is at least in the ballpark of outright theft. If the government barred me from living in my apartment due to some natural disaster, I certainly wouldn't be paying my landlord a penny during the relevant period.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/21/25 at 5:29pm

KKeller6 said: "Kad said: "...that article entirely undercuts what you're claiming by breaking down what that money went to."

Remember when Chrysler and GM were about to go bankrupt? In the same way that the federal government came in to bail out auto companies, it’s doing the same thing for all of show business with this legislation,” he said. “It’s returning us to health and it’s protecting the well-being of our employees.”

"Seller said that none of the money would go to the show’s producers (including him) or its investors, and none would be used as royalties for artists (including the show’s creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda)."

Please. You know better than this. I've read your posts. You're an intelligent guy. The money doesn'thave to go directly into their pockets. But the money they would have spent on rehearsals theyno longer have to spend. So, it's indirectly in their pockets.

claiming the money is returning his show to" health" is utterly ridiculous. I mean it holds no weight whatsoever.
"Instead, he said, the money will be used to remount the shuttered productions"

Hamilton sat in the theatre untouched and needed a day of two of work to get ready technically wise. And most of that work was dusting off the non existent set.
"

So you've got nothing but strongly biased conjecture here, got it. If you've got something damning, by all means, share it, but absolutely nothing outlined in that article supports what you're alleging or even seems like unreasonable expenditure during an unprecedented and, at the time, indefinite industry shutdown. You're alleging they committed tens of millions of dollars of fraud, so, y'know, you better have something better than a hunch to support it. 

The only eyebrow-raising thing in that article is, as kdogg said, the fact that theater owners were apparently demanding rent during the shutdown. Now that is truly outrage worthy. 

Updated On: 10/21/25 at 05:29 PM

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 10/21/25 at 10:04pm

Kad, please. You know better than this. I've read your posts. You're an intelligent guy. 

😂

[KKeller6]

Posted: 10/21/25 at 10:13pm

So you've got nothing but strongly biased conjecture here, got it. If you've got something damning, by all means, share it, but absolutely nothing outlined in that article supports what you're alleging or even seems like unreasonable expenditure during an unprecedented and, at the time, indefinite industry shutdown. You're alleging they committed tens of millions of dollars of fraud, so, y'know, you better have something better than a hunch to support it.
 

Couple of things here...the article was just confirming they received the money. Here's some facts about the PPP

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provided forgivable loans to help businesses maintain payroll during the pandemic by covering costs like employee wages, mortgage interest, rent, and utilities. 
 

• To be eligible for forgiveness, a business had to use at least 60% of the loan for payroll costs. 

Since we know they didn't pay actors, stagehands, musicians, wardrobe, box office, porters, ushers, etc. according to the article they got at least $30M, (but let's face it, they probably got the full $50M) 60% of $30M is $18M. Who got that money? But, I will certainly admit there is a great chance these producers didn't literally break the law. I was being hyperbolic there, because they certainly didn't act in good faith. 

 

Ive been following this board for awhile now. Im shocked that so many seem to side with the producer's on most issues. It's doubtful either the actors or musicians will gain much in these agreements. But, of course, I could be wrong about that.

 Also, Im not trying to turn this into a discussion about "Hamilton". Im just trying to point out that these producers and their hit men at Proskauer-Rose are not your friend. They are against any kind of fair deal whatsoever because they know they hold all the power in this. As someone who's been involved in this business for 45 years, I can attest that's not always the way it was. You realize today you're paying top dollar for shows with little or no set, little or no scene changes, and far from a full orchestra. It's shameful. 

 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 10/22/25 at 12:30am

EDSOSLO858 said: "If a deal isn't reached by Thursday morning, Local 802 musicians are preparing to strike immediately."

[sorry-found this unsent in my browser from earlier]

I have no idea what you are trying to convey here. Certainly, the union has been "preparing" for a while now, and they have taken an authorization vote, but "preparing" and "immediately" (bold face or not) are in the nature of an oxymoron. Negotiators and mediators do not pull all-nighters when their efforts are doomed to failure. And if they don't know whether or when, I certainly hope you are not suggesting you know something they don't. 

In the present weird economy and even weirder political morass in which we find ourselves, I can't imagine anyone on either side thinks a strike is a good thing. That said, labor relations ranks second IMO in blind adversarialism. [Divorce, to answer the obvious next question.] Labor negotiation is not a sport; people's lives depend on it. It is important to remember that the consequences of a strike are not trivial; the risks are real, on every level. It's not like the risk endured by a bunch of New Jerseyans who might not get to see the discounted shows for which they have been holding their breath since Good Friday.

[The Bandstand]

Posted: 10/22/25 at 1:13am

Good Friday?  Are you saying people get gifts during Good Friday?  Anyway, I think a strike is bad for everyone, workers, producers, and audiences. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 10/22/25 at 1:38am

Good Friday was just me being silly.

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/22/25 at 2:21am

HogansHero said: "Good Friday was just me being silly."

 

I got it and had a good chuckle!

 

[MezzoDiva47]

Posted: 10/22/25 at 3:38am

KKeller6 said: ".

Also, Imnot trying to turn this into a discussion about "Hamilton". Im just trying to point out that these producers and their hit men at Proskauer-Rose are not your friend. They are against any kind of fair deal whatsoever because they know they hold all the power in this. As someone who's been involved in this business for 45 years, I can attest that's not always the way it was. You realize today you're paying top dollar for shows with little or no set, little or no scene changes, and far from afull orchestra. It's shameful."

 

applause for that final sentence

actors and musicians are a surprisingly small part of a broadway shows costs

so its sad those participants are the ones being nickel and dimed

there are other categories of workers who make a lot more money but even they arent the main reason for skyrocketing costs

yes there is some wasteful spending and job positions which could be cut back

but the real creep of increasing expenses over the past several decades are the paychecks handed out every week to those who havent spent one day in the trenches since opening night

that slice of the pie has gotten fatter and no one benefiting wants that to change

it is very easy to cry ‘greedy producers’ and make the blame game simple and easy

but the issue is a mirror for the rest of our country

their union put out a list of shows that would be impacted by a musicians strike starting within the next 24 hours

i was shocked by how short the list was when you consider how many broadway theaters there are in total

how few musicals are playing right now and how fewer of those opened within the past five years

and yet the Hamiltons and Wickeds of the world are making obscene amounts of money

so the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer

actors and musicians want to get more income out of a continually shriveling number of job positions

once the average ticket price hits $200 that will be a mental barrier for many patrons

its a race to the bottom

for every show destined to recoup like ‘Maybe Happy Ending’, there are five ‘Lempicka’s and five ‘Heart of Rock and Roll’s

there is a word for this phenomenon

unsustainable

 

MezzoDiva47 has spoken

bow down accordingly

 

 

 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 10/22/25 at 7:33am

HogansHero said: "EDSOSLO858 said: "If a deal isn't reached by Thursday morning, Local 802 musicians are preparing to strikeimmediately."

[sorry-found this unsent in my browser from earlier]

I have no idea what you are trying to convey here. Certainly, the union has been "preparing" for a while now, and they have taken anauthorization vote, but "preparing" and "immediately" (bold face or not) are in the nature of an oxymoron. Negotiators and mediators do not pull all-nighters when their efforts are doomed to failure. And if they don't know whether or when, I certainly hope you are not suggesting you know something they don't.

The poster was conveying a direct quote from the union that was covered as a news item by Playbill.com, BroadwayWorld, and others. It would seem your objection is with the union's statement, since the poster wasn't suggesting anything and was simply quoting. 

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/AFM-Local-802-Prepared-to-Strike-Immediately-If-Contract-Isnt-Reached-By-Thursday-20251021

"AFM Local 802, the union representing Broadway musicians, has released a statement from Local 802 President Bob Suttmann, noting that they are prepared to strike immediately if a new contract isn't reached by Thursday.

The statement reads: “The Broadway musicians represented by Local 802 AFM are going into mediation on Wednesday, Oct. 22. If we do not have a new contract by Thursday morning, we are prepared to strike immediately. We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement.”"

Updated On: 10/22/25 at 07:33 AM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 10/22/25 at 11:20am

MezzoDiva47 said: "and yet the Hamiltons and Wickeds of the world are making obscene amounts of money"

Would Broadway theater even be a going concern at this point without long-running moneymakers like those two (and Lion King)?

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/22/25 at 12:17pm

kdogg36 said: "MezzoDiva47 said: "and yet the Hamiltons and Wickeds of the world are making obscene amounts of money"

Would Broadway theater even be a going concern at this pointwithout long-running moneymakers like those two (andLion King)?"I think there are people who still invest in hopes that the show will be the next big thing.  If you think about it, in addition to those, we have Chicago, BOM, Harry Potter, maybe MJ, Hadestown.  

[JSquared2]

Posted: 10/22/25 at 1:08pm

MezzoDiva47 said: "


MezzoDiva47 has spoken

bow down accordingly
 

Can MezzoDiva47 kindly just STFU?  The "bow down" sh*t is getting really old.

 

 

[BwayMusician]

Posted: 10/22/25 at 1:21pm

The issue truly seems to be that new shows are insurmountably expensive to mount, but by many estimates, musicians only make up around 5% of a show's budget. The theater landlords, however, are making money hand over fist. The only time this information was made public, it showed that in 23-24, Jujamcyn made a pure profit of $32 million dollars (via Philip Boroff's Broadway Journal) That's just Jujamcyn, they own only 7 Broadway theaters. If all rents are relatively equal, (are they? I wish we knew, but this is the best public data to my knowledge!) we're looking at landlords making a pure profit of over $160 million dollars. These are not individual producers, this is Nederlander, Shubert, and ATG, and this is pure profit, after costs are taken into account. 

I just did some math, and for every musician employed by every theater (344 according to Broadwaymusicians.com), the annual healthcare costs are $5.6 million . That's just 3.5% of total profit estimations. If the league bumped up contributions to just 4%, it could literally keep hundreds of musicians' insurance plans from going insolvent. Again, we're asking them to give up a small percentage of their pure profits, not grosses. 

I do think producing shows is a very difficult and risky endeavor, and as a musician I respect that. However, the issue for producers these days is not the cost of labor, it's the cost of renting theaters. The league needs to do internal housekeeping and stop trying to distract the public and waste everyone's time trying to whittle away healthcare and small cost of living increases for the very people who make their product.

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 10/22/25 at 1:21pm

the fact 802 is using a strike deadline publicly means the negotating parties are likely still way apart, i see this playing out as a strike lasting through the weekend, causing chaos and then by tuesday both sides take a contract neither is super happy with but 802 atleast feels like they "won" on

[auroraspice62]

Posted: 10/22/25 at 1:27pm

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "the fact 802 is using a strike deadline publicly means the negotating parties are likely still way apart, i see this playing out as a strike lasting through the weekend, causing chaos and then by tuesday bothsides take a contract neither is super happy with but 802 atleast feels like they "won" on"

I don't think there is "winning" or "losing". These negotiations are about compromise. And yes, 802 will be happy if they feel like they've gotten a fair deal. But the League's definition of "fair" at this point doesn't seem to be the same.

[magicalinvestigatorordinary]

Posted: 10/22/25 at 2:12pm

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "the fact 802 is using a strike deadline publicly means the negotating parties are likely still way apart, i see this playing out as a strike lasting through the weekend, causing chaos and then by tuesday bothsides take a contract neither is super happy with but 802 atleast feels like they "won" on"

I see the public strike deadline much more as a direct response to last week’s agreement with the actors. I don’t think they were pleased news outlets were running the “strike averted” headline. They want to keep public support high before people forget again. If you look at 802’s instagram, their entire story is them reposting the media’s articles about their strike. It makes sense to try and catch the broadway league now when it will be harder for them to justify their cuts after they have successfully negotiated with the actors.