 The Clarinet BBoard
|
Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2003-03-05 14:00
NY Post's, Riedel take on the impending strike and negotiations:
"AT A MINIMUM, B'WAY SINGING COMPROMISE
By MICHAEL RIEDEL
New York Post
March 5, 2003 -- HERE'S the compromise that cooler heads in the theater business think will be forged tomorrow - around midnight (strike deadline!) - between Broadway producers and the musicians union: The minimum number of musicians required in the larger theaters (the "maximum minimum," you might say) will be reduced from 26 to 18, and more flexibility will be built into the so-called "special situations" clause, which allows producers to petition the union for fewer musicians on a show-by-show basis. Minimums will be preserved, but in theory only; for all practical purposes, every show will negotiate its own minimum. How will this play out? A cynical theater exec offers his take: "Producers will aggressively invoke the special situations clause to reduce orchestra sizes. That will lead to more and more arbitration proceedings with the union. And so the money a producer hopes to save by having a smaller orchestra will go into the pocket of the lawyer he hired to negotiate that smaller orchestra." Well, nobody said show business was fair. But the compromise, should it come to pass, allows both sides to save some face - to say nothing of averting a strike that everyone agrees would wreak havoc on this terribly fragile industry. (Can you really imagine anybody happily forking over $100 for a canned "La Boheme"?) The union will be able to claim the obvious victory: "The producers set out to eliminate minimums and failed. By preserving minimums, we have preserved live music on Broadway. Solidarity forever!" The producers will have to work a little harder at their spin (flacks have to do something for their paychecks). Publicly, the producers say: "Yes, we still have to live with minimums, which we hate and vowed to risk ruining our shows with canned music to get rid of. But we got them knocked down quite a bit. "In addition, we got what we wanted with the special situations clause. There are now just as many producers as union members on the committee that decides whether a show can run with fewer musicians than the minimum." The producers will also say: "By not eliminating minimums, we have demonstrated to the world that we do not, nor did we ever, want to eliminate live music from the Broadway experience." Privately, some producers will tell reporters: "Look, we knew we couldn't get rid of minimums. We just wanted to reduce them. We threatened to use those virtual orchestras - which, off the record, we know don't sound so great - in case of a strike so we could get the union's attention." You don't have to buy that line, but can you blame them for trying to look clever instead of beaten? But what if I - and the cooler heads - are wrong? What if the producers and the union decide to go over the cliff? Chaos. Computerized music will malfunction. Critics will damn the canned sound. Theatergoers will demand refunds. Box-office grosses will plunge. Weak shows will close, permanently. Not a pretty picture. That is, unless you're the producer of one of the handful of non-musical plays on Broadway right now. In which case - strike! "
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: David Spiegelthal ★2017
Date: 2003-03-05 16:24
John,
What's your personal feeling on the compromise (reduced minimums) described above, or do you feel not at liberty to discuss it right now?
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2003-03-05 22:42
Hi David;
I am unable to discuss my personal feelings about the current negotiations, as I am an advisor to the committee now involved in the talks.
I believe all is being done by our side that can be done, and their firm position must stand this time around.
Please continue to give your support to your fellow musicians.
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
|
|
Reply To Message
|
|
The Clarinet Pages
|
 |
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
.jpg){kind=small}
