ROA producer Barry Habib slams unions...

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 9:44am

Another reason to dislike this show...

What a moron this guy is, and I'm sure his "figures" are greatly exaggerated.

And of course, the segment aired on Fox Business.
Barry Habib slams unions

[KirbyCat]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 10:12am

It's hilarious, because they surely made it seem like he was a first timer in the Broadway community, and then he proceeds to say how expensive running a show is. Well no sh*t, sherlock!

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 3:03pm

I'd also call bullsh*t on his claims that ticket prices are high because of union costs. I highly doubt that he would lower his top ticket price if was paying lower salaries and fewer benefits. The evidence we have, from the non-Eq tours, surely doesn't support this. The guarantees charged by the presenters are just as high, not allowing the presenters to charge less for a non-Eq tour, even though by his "reasoning" presented here, they should be able to since nearly everyone on those tours are making far less in both salary and benefits than they would be if they were under union contracts.

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 6:01pm

Well, since Equity's Production Contract expires in September...I'm sure he's simply laying the ground work for the next negotiations. Which will probably start sometime this summer. Producers trashing the unions before negotiations start is as predictable as Mr Roxy whining about ticket prices.

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 7:09pm

. The evidence we have, from the non-Eq tours,

People say this all the time and it's not true... Every single tour that I've seen has been non equity except for two and they have all had a top ticket price of $55.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/2/11 at 11:18pm

And, ticket prices for tours, whether equity or not, are set by the presenters, not the producers.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/3/11 at 12:52am

Though the point is even if the unions agreed to lower minimum wages, etc, to help lower running costs I would bet that no producer would actually lower their top ticket price accordingly.

I'm not saying there aren't some abuses by the unions, but, as a businessman who dipped his toe into the producing waters, he is just unaware of the gross abuses in the past that necessitated the formation of the theatrical unions and brought about some of the current working conditions.

Do I sometimes get frustrated when I'm working with an IATSE crew and have to hunt down a props guy to move a stool two feet to the left when there are 3 carpenters hanging around at the rail, or I could just do it myself? Absolutely. Does Equity sometimes set some crazy rules or make it difficult for that young company trying to transition into becoming an Equity company? Of course. Do I completely hate the face that AGMA refuses to fight for all singers and stage managers to be hired as employees by opera companies and not independent contractors? Completely. But I do believe our unions in this business are responsible for helping to create and maintain a safer working environment and to provide living wages for their members. Without the unions continuing to fight for living wages which do you think the producer would hire, the seasoned professional who expects to make a salary they could comfortably live on, or the fresh out of college kid who would be willing to work on Broadway for $250 a week?

He also brings up the royalty pool and how everybody seems to have to get their share of it. Well, that's what happens when you produce a jukebox musical using the song catalog of not just one artist but an entire decade of different artists' greatest hits.