The Strike on Broadway

Another area I've been negligent is talking about the Stagehand strike that has shut down most (though not all) of the shows on Broadway.

It's causing some real concern in New York because the strike is not only shutting down most of the biggest shows, it's also happening during the normally-busy Thanksgiving holiday and it's hurting the restaurants and other businesses that depend on those crowds.

Go here to find more information about which shows are closed and which are still running.

And since I'm affiliated with the Associated Press via the Herald-Dispatch, here's the latest off the wire:

Bloomberg Plays Different Role in Strike

By SARA KUGLER
Associated Press Writer

NEW YORK (AP) - Broadway was only four days into a strike in 2003 when Mayor Michael Bloomberg pressured both sides to come together and warned of the looming "severe economic impact" that could result from the dispute.

This time, theaters have been dark for more than a week and the mayor is not only refraining from wagging his finger in public, he's downplaying the potential damage the stagehands strike could cause the city and shrugging off some of the concerns he voiced four years ago.

The losses, he said Monday, are mostly contained to the theater industry, and theatergoers counting on Broadway shows may be disappointed. Otherwise, it's hard to quantify any sort of economic setback, and life goes on, he said.

"I think what it hurts more is our reputation, and it's the psychic things rather than dollars," he said. "Our hotels will still be full, our restaurants will still be full, mass transit will still be going along."

Estimates of the economic damage on the city vary wildly, ranging from $2 million to $17 million a day. Bloomberg, a billionaire businessman, dismissed any such figures as "guesswork" and said the sky is hardly falling.

"Is it a cataclysmic thing for this city? No. Is it bad for this city? Yes," he said.

Talks broke off Sunday between Local 1 and the League of American Theatres and Producers, and performances for more than two dozen Broadway shows were canceled through Nov. 25, the lucrative Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

Pressure has mounted for a solution to the work stoppage, which began Nov. 10, because this is typically one of Broadway's best weeks of the year. Many shows top more than $1 million for the week.

The stagehands—who include scenery and prop handlers, carpenters, electricians, and lighting and sound technicians—have been working without a contract since the end of July. Negotiations have focused on how many stagehands are required to open a Broadway show and keep it running.

The shows idled by the strike include some of Broadway's biggest hits, including "Wicked," "Jersey Boys," "The Phantom of the Opera," "The Lion King" and "Mamma Mia!"

Eight shows, whose theaters have separate contracts with the league, remain unaffected by the walkout. They include four productions—"Pygmalion," "The Ritz," "Mauritius" and "Cymbeline"—playing at nonprofit theaters, and four other shows: "Young Frankenstein," "Mary Poppins," "Xanadu" and "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." All off-Broadway productions are open, too.

Bloomberg was in his first term when Broadway last shut down four years ago. That time, he was more publicly forceful in urging the two sides to come together, and when they accepted his offer of a neutral mediator and place to meet, he even showed up at 3 a.m. to urge them on. A deal was announced hours later and the curtains went up that night.

There are a number of possible explanations for his more low-key approach to this strike.

In the first dispute, the theater producers had somewhat of an upper hand over the musicians because there was the threat that the shows could go on without them, using recorded music. For this reason, Bloomberg might have wielded more influence when he called both sides to get together, because if the union didn't show up, they risked letting the producers win with canned music.

There is no such power play in this year's standoff. Aides say Bloomberg believes that the same public pressure that worked four years ago is not the right approach this time around.

Joshua Freeman, professor of labor history at Queens College, said Bloomberg also might be standing back because the two sides are farther apart and he believes his attempts could fail.

"Some of it is a recognition that he has relatively limited leverage," Freeman said. "These are private parties, and he may prefer not to stake out a position as a problem solver if he doesn't think he can solve a problem."

But City Hall is still involved, however quietly; Bloomberg and his deputies are regularly in touch with both sides, as well as labor experts. The mayor was also quick to have dinner at a theater district restaurant after the strike started, in a symbolic move to show that the area was still open for business.


Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Winding Down

Whew! I'm still recovering from the wrap-up to High School Musical - I took a vacation day from work because I knew I'd need it!

The theatre business continues to march on, though, so I should mention that there are several shows coming up in two weeks, including a holiday classic and a very funny play written by Steve Martin.

And before we know it we'll have to run down the shows coming up next Spring - some awesome stuff is on the way!

More on all that in the days ahead!

High School Musical - the Final Show

Today the curtain went up on the last performance of the First Stage production of High School Musical. The cast took the stage in front of a huge crowd at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center, wrapping up a six-show run.

I certainly don't want to brag (well, maybe a little), but it was a great run! The shows all went extremely well, thanks to the dedication and talent of the cast and crew. The shows were enthusiastically received, with great crowds for every single performance. It was exhilarating to see so many people pour into that beautiful old theater.

Best of all, as near as I can tell, the cast had a great time, made new friends and had a positive experience - which is what First Stage is all about. The great thing about the theatre is the boost it gives to the self-confidence of the young performers - as I said recently, if you can sing and dance in front of 1000 people, you can accomplish anything!

And after each show the cast was mobbed by kids clamoring for their autographs! All in all, an amazing experience. I'll have more stories about it tomorrow and, who knows, perhaps I'll even start talking about other shows coming up.

High School Musical - Shows #3 and #4

Whew, what a day! We ran two shows of High School Musical today - the matinee at 2:30 p.m. and the evening show at 7:30 p.m.

That's a challenge for any cast, and they were definitely showing a bit of fatigue during the matinee (although only the directors would notice). However, they brought their "A" game to the evening performance and produced their best performance yet!

More about the run tomorrow when I'm not quite so bleary-eyed. But what a terrific job on the part of these young performers - I couldn't be more proud!

High School Musical - Show #2

The second performance of the First Stage production of Disney's High School Musical wrapped up Thursday night, and once again the cast and crew did a terrific job! I'm so impressed with the polished, professional work being done by these young people. They're amazing!

Hey, we also got quite a bit of media coverage - there's a nice write-up in today's paper right here...

There's a new photo gallery with shots from last night's show right here...

There was a story on WOWK-TV last night, although it isn't up on their website yet...

There was a story on WSAZ-TV the night before, but it's also not up on their site yet (if you missed it, you missed hearing anchor Penny Moss sing a line from the song "We're All In This Together").

And you can see a video story on the Herald-Dispatch website, or you can watch it right here:

Making Headlines with "High School Musical"

There's a huge write-up in today's edition of the Herald-Dispatch about the First Stage Production of Disney's High School Musical (if you can ignore the fact that it includes lots of quotes from me). An excellent job by Dashing Dave Lavender! You can read it right here.

Even better, there a huge photo of Angela Pino (our "Gabriella") at the top of page one - and she joins five of the leads on the cover of the Entertainment Section! I was sorry to see they cropped out Josh Meredith ("Ryan") from the "Joy Jump" cover, though. And thanks to Allen Louden for taking that photo in the first place!

You can also see a Photo Gallery of the actors (including Josh) getting ready for yesterday's show right here.

Thanks for all the ink to my pals at the H-D!

High School Musical - The First Performance

For this entry, I'm tempted just to write "WOW!"

But that doesn't really capture the amazing experience today at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center.

Let me back up a bit. Tuesday night we ran the final rehearsal for the First Stage production of Disney's High School Musical. Like most dress rehearsals, there were a few problems to be solved - but it wasn't a bad show at all. Still, we all knew we could do better - and theatre lore has it that a rough dress rehearsal translates into a great show!

So this morning at 9:30 a.m. the cast ran its first real show - with the theater filled to the brim with local school kids. For about five years now First Stage has made a tradition of offering a weekday morning performance where local schools can bring students to see a show at a reduced cost.

A show doesn't really come together until there's an audience - and what an audience they were! They screamed, they cheered, they laughed, they sang and clapped along - I half expected to see them dancing in the aisles! It made for an electric atmosphere, and gave the cast a real charge of energy. Orchestra Leader Mark Smith pointed out that it was the first show he could remember where the crowd manged to drown out the band!

I've been going to shows for a long, long time, and I've been directly involved with First Stage for about 13 years, and I've never seen a crowd like that - it was simply amazing!

Tomorrow evening: the first regular performance!

Comical Murders at MU

I apologize - in telling you about our efforts to bring High School Musical to the stage, I've neglected to mention the latest effort from Marshall Univeristy's Department of Theatre - The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940.

Luckily, my pal Stephen Vance is on the job and has this review:

I went to see the show in previews tonight and it was wonderful. The director David Cook describes this show the best in the program: "a farcical romp which pays homage to the many cliches of the murder-mysteries of the period." And that it is. It is difficult to go long in this show without a laugh-out-loud moment.

Both new and familiar faces graced the stage and did it so well. I want to send out special kudos to our own Chuck Herndon who did a brilliant job in his debut on the Marshall stage. Anyone who has seen any theater in the Tri-State has probably had the privilege of seeing "Chuckie" in a show. He was hilarious and held his own among the talented Marshall veterans. In fact, the entire ensemble did a tremendous job.

This show, once again, had terrific sets, costumes, and lighting design. I love sitting in a playhouse and forgetting I'm watching a show. The tech design was second to none.

In this busy theatre week, I wanted to take a second and give an enthusiastic nod to the cast and crew of The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940. Well Done!

Thanks for the reminder, Stephen! I appreciate the review, and I certainly urge everyone to check out The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940. MU's Theatre Department puts together incredible shows - I'm sure this one is no different!

And since Chuck Herndon played the lead in the first two shows I directed, you don't have to tell me how good an actor he is - he was a terrific actor then (six years ago) and he's only become better in the years since!

You can also read about the show in this story in the Herald-Dispatch by Beth Hendricks.

"High School Musical" Tech Week: Day 2

It's ironic that actors spend weeks practicing for a show - and then when they get on the stage, most of the effort is in fixing technical problems with the lighting, sound and set pieces.

Today was the second day of Tech Week for the cast of the First Stage Theatre production of Disney's High School Musical, and it was a tough one for cast and crew alike.

It started at 11:00 a.m. as the cast ran through a rehearsal. Like most Tech Rehearsals, it involved a lot of stopping and adjusting lights, mics and the placement of set pieces. It makes for a slow and difficult rehearsal, but to their credit, the cast and crew kept their cool and worked through the problems. We finally wrapped up around 4:00 p.m., so everyone took a dinner break and then returned to the theater at 6:30 p.m. for another go-around.

It's unusual to do two rehearsals in one day, but we are crunched for time, with only three days to get ready before our first performance. Luckily, we had the advantage of today being a holiday for most of our cast (Veteran's Day, natch).

So how did it go? Frankly, it was awesome! Oh, there were a few minor tech glitches - set pieces that weren't quite set right, actors arriving on stage without the right props, that sort of thing - but for the most part, it was an excellent run-through. One good reason for that is the talent of our cast - it's an honor to work with a cast made up of some of the most talented performers in the Tri-State.

Tomorrow's the dress rehearsal (which is virtually identical to the actual show), and then Wednesday we do our first show in front of an audience. Keep those fingers crossed!

Taking the Stage at the Keith-Albee

Today was the big day - we loaded in the set for High School Musical into the Keith-Albee Theater and ran our first rehearsal on the stage!

And it wasn't easy! We started about 11:00 a.m., as a dozen or so parents and actors gathered at the First Stage storage and construction building to finish loading the set into two large trucks. Then at 1:00 p.m. we arrived at the Keith and started unloading the pieces and assembling them on the stage - a process that took about four hours and a lot of effort on the part of a small army of parents and union workers.

While that was going on, the cast learned about the historic theater and settled into their dressing rooms - the Keith features four stories of dressing rooms, and even so, it's just barely enough for our cast of almost 50 performers!

Then around 5:00 p.m. we ran our first tech rehearsal, where we start working out the technical issues of moving set pieces on and off stage, and the cast sings along with the full orchestra for the first time. As expected, there were a few problems to be worked out, but all in all I thought the rehearsal went amazingly well.

That's due in no small part to the amazingly talented cast and crew we have to work with - they're awesome! Tomorrow, round two!

The Musical Man

I always enjoy talking about the members of the High School Musical directing team, because they're a great bunch of people - it's an honor and a pleasure to work with them!

In an earlier post I talked about the wonderful Amy Browning, who's the Choreographer and Assistant Director for the show (and those titles are woefully inadequate to describe the innumerable ways she makes the show better). Now let me take a moment to brag on another member of the team - our Music Director and Orchestra Leader, Mark Smith.

I've been lucky enough to work with Mark on four different shows, and if I have my way we'll team up on any other show I tackle. He's an amazingly talented keyboard player, an outstanding singer and a heck of a nice guy. He's also a fantastic teacher, and it's a joy to watch him guide the young performers through the process of learning each show's music. It's a task he manages with great skill and patience. He also has a fantastic sense of humor - the vocal warm-up exercises before each practice are always a hoot.

Because of his talent, he's in huge demand locally - he's the music director for Trinity Episcopal Church, and he travels around the area playing for professional bands and orchestras. He's also kept busy working with the music and drama departments at Marshall University - and that's just the stuff I know about! I'm so happy and blessed to have him on our directing team - when audiences hear how terrific the cast sounds while singing the songs from High School Musical, they can thanks Mark for showing them the way!

Roller Coaster Ride

Working on a show for the community theatre is sort of like being on a roller coaster. One night everything goes great and you feel like you're on top of the world. Other nights, not so much.

For example, last Monday the cast of High School Musical struggled through a rehearsal where we were trying to fix some assorted scenes and dance moves. It was a long, slow process and by the end of the night just about everyone was worn out and a bit aggravated.

The next night, we ran the show all the way through - and it went great! Oh, it wasn't perfect, but everyone could see that the show was almost ready to hit the stage (there's still some minor tweaking to be done). So we're riding high again!

But the next difficult hurdle is coming up - moving into the theater. More on that later!

Taking the Lead

Rehearsals continue for the First Stage production of Disney's High School Musical, and I have to say I'm just so darn proud of the work being done by these young performers.

The show features a good mix of experienced performers and young people who have never done theatre work before. Both groups (and the ones in between) have really worked hard to make this show something special.

I really enjoy seeing the veterans of the group demonstrating leadership skills. It's not something that can be taught, but in every show I've been involved with, at one point or another, one or more young performers take the lead. In some cases they lead by example; in others they actively work with the other actors, teaching dance steps, stage movements or just how to properly deliver a line.

At one rehearsal recently, I watched experienced young actors pull members of the cast aside and announce they were going to fix the problems in one scene (those problems were mostly a result of some performers missing an earlier rehearsal). It was a delight to see them take that kind of initiative, and when you've got that kind of help, it makes the job of the directors much easier.

Of course, sometimes they get a little too bossy - but that's when you step in as the director and reign them in. But that hasn't been a problem with this show - it's been a real team effort and I couldn't be more proud of the work being done by these performers. It's been a blast to work with them!

On Stage Tonight - "Peter Pan"

On stage tonight at the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center is Peter Pan, the story of the boy who doesn't want to grow up and (literally) flies into all kinds of adventure as he battles the wicked Captain Hook.

It's a terrific show with great songs and lots of impressive effects - it's well worth seeing. But I hear tickets are scarce, so I hope you have yours already!

Get Ready

I've tried to show some restraint up to this point when it comes to talking about the First Stage Theatre Company production of High School Musical (since I'm directing it and all) - I don't want to abuse your interest or take unfair advantage of our blog here.

But I just wanted to give you fair warning - tomorrow, that's all going to change. For the next week-and-a-half, I'll be talking about it pretty much non-stop. It's been an amazing production to be part of, and there are lots of stories to tell - so be ready for it.

Auditions at King's Island

Lots of local young people have found summer jobs working for King's Island near Cincinnati. In fact, a few friends of mine have been performers there.

Anyway, there's an article in today's edition of the Herald-Dispatch that tells you what you need to know to audition for the 2008 entertainment season at the park.

Auditions will be held on Nov. 8, 9, 10, and 11.

You can read more about it right here.

Talking to Peter Pan

That's what my pal Dave Lavender did for a story in today's edition of the Herald-Dispatch. He interviewed the actress who plays the title role in the musical that will be staged in the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, and you'll find lots of interesting info about this terrific show.

Where can you read this fine article? Right here, of course.

I Won't Grow Up

One of my all-time favorite Broadway shows is flying into the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center on Tuesday night - literally!

It's Peter Pan, the story of the boy who refuses to grow up and fights pirates in Never-Never Land. With its flying effects, great songs and a delightful story, it's a classic the whole family will enjoy.

I'll have more about it in the days ahead, but for now you can learn the basics right here.

Where Are They Now?

My pal Stephen Vance sent in this comment the other day, and I enjoyed it so much I wanted to print it on the "main page" of the blog in case you missed it:

A quick note about some local guys who have gone off to bigger and better things:

Owen Reynolds, who played Will Parker in this summer's Oklahoma, and skimbleshanks in Cats, is just finishing his first college production. He is at Wooster, where they are doing Cabaret. Owen was cast as Fritz in the very small but talented cast, and was also the understudy for the Emcee, which is unheard of for an incoming freshmen. I'm hearing great things from some friends who went to see him tonight in the understudy show.

Nick Husted, who has appeared locally in the Good Doctor, Oklahoma, and 1776, has recently been cast as Gonzalo in The Tempest at the University of Kentucky. Also, a huge accomplishment for a first year student in their program.

Thought you may be interested in the progress of a couple of our own.

Thanks, Stephen! It's great to hear the progress of the young performers who got their start on a local stage.

There are quite a few other graduates studying theatre in college (and doing quite well, thank you), including Emily Asbury, Laura LaCara, Michael Moore, Evan Price, Chuck Herndon and many others.

Updates are welcome and encouraged!

What Happened?

Sorry for the extended absence, loyal readers! My real-life job sent me out of town this week to a remote part of Ohio, and I thought I'd have Internet access there - but was I ever wrong!

But I'm back and planning some catch-up blogs over the weekend. There's no place like home!