Broadway enters an anxious time as labor action threatens to roil theaters

[Omaha Steve]

https://apnews.com/article/broadway-strike-vote-2025-c54df78e527fad07089acaeaeeca69c2

By MARK KENNEDY
Updated 9:54 AM CDT, October 15, 2025

NEW YORK (AP) — Broadway is a tense place these days after two major labor unions authorized strike action amid ongoing contract negotiations with producers.

Actors’ Equity Association — which represents over 51,000 members, including singers, actors, dancers and stage managers — and American Federation of Musicians Local 802 — which represents 1,200 musicians — have voted in favor of a strike authorization, a strategic step ahead of any work stoppage. No strike has been called.

Members of both unions are currently working under expired contracts. The musicians’ contract expired on Aug. 31, and the Equity contract expired on Sept. 28.

Both unions want pay increases and higher contributions by producers toward employee health care costs, a key sticking point. Actors Equity also wants producers to hire more backup performers and stage managers, add protections for performers in the event of injury and put limits on how many performances in a row actors can be asked to do without a day off.

FULL story at link above.

[PJMcK]

1. There's a lot of anxiety

Several of my clients write Broadway shows and depend on their weekly royalty checks. Many of my friends are musicians and actors who depend on their paychecks. This could be a difficult set of negotiations.

Broadway could be in serious financial trouble. The astronomical costs to produce shows has made ticket prices equally out of this world. There's also the problem of the shows themselves where many of the shows just aren't that good. When they close, they lose their entire budgets which can be $20+ million.

There's not much we can do but hope the negotiations are fair and fruitful. Not only is the Broadway community holding its breath but the local businesses that benefit from the ticket holder activity are also uptight.