arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)

Internet Foto borrowed by marco in fair-use

[INLINE] - Musician Ben Herrington walks a picket line in NY's
Times Square, March 7, 2003. Herrington plays in the orchestra
for the musical 'Urinetown' and has joined fellow musicians who
are on strike against Broadway producers over the minimum size
of the orchestras for each play. (Photographer: Jeff Christensen)

Almost all Broadway musical closed their doors Friday
as musicians began their strike midnite Thursday, having
asked actors and stagehands to not cross their picket lines.

Negotiations broke down Thursday and no one has said when there
might be new ones.

Non-musical plays are continuing as are off-broadway and off-off-
broadway shows. Ticketholders can come in and get any necessary
refunds, according to the League of American Theatres and Producers.
The main dispute unresolved is with producers over the minimum size
of orchestras.

Theatres were originally going to continue on with canned music
until early Friday when actors and stagehands publicly agreed to
honor the picket-lines in solidarity. They then decided to close
their doors until someday when the strike ends.

"Virtual orchestras are not live music," said Harvey Fierstein
who plays in "Hairspray" on Broadway, "it's a computer program
that sounds like a roller rink. A machine is a dead thing, and
that is not why people go to live theater."

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/78312.html