Dark nights, fewer tourists, as New York’s theater strike drags on
NEW YORK - The Broadway stagehands’ strike, which has darkened plays and musicals at more than two dozen theaters, has turned New York’s normally crowded Times Square into a comparative ghost town and left tourists adrift.
It’s also cut the business to some restaurants and stores in the area as foot traffic has dropped. City Comptroller William Thompson estimated the economic impact of the strike at $2 million a day, including spending on tickets, dining, shopping and other activities.
The walkout is in its sixth day today; talks are scheduled this weekend between Local 1 and the League of American Theatres and Producers.
Wednesday was to have been the New York premiere at the Music Box Theatre of “The Farnsworth Invention,” the eagerly anticipated return to Broadway of playwright Aaron Sorkin, the creator of such television shows as “The West Wing.” Instead, the Music Box, one of Broadway’s most elegant playhouses, sits dark.
Among those feeling the squeeze is The Walt Disney Co., whose productions of “The Lion King” and “The Little Mermaid” are shuttered. Together, the two shows took in nearly $900,000 at the box office the week before the strike, according to Variety, and “Mermaid” was still in previews - it’s scheduled to open Dec. 6. (Disney’s pain is being somewhat assuaged by “Mary Poppins,” which is one of only eight Broadway shows still open due to a separate contract with the union.) The strike is also taking a toll on the dinner-and-a-show experience that restaurants capitalize on. Zane Tankel, chief executive and chairman of Apple Metro, said its restaurant at 50th St. has been hurt quite a bit, but the blow has been partially offset by the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular, which opened Friday.
The Broadway contract dispute has focused on how many stagehands are required to open a Broadway show and keep it running. That means moving scenery, lights, sound systems and props into the theater; installing the set and making sure it works; and keeping everything functioning well for the life of the production. The union also has cost of living and pension concerns.