The Show Must (After Negotiations) Go On
The lights are once again brightly lit on Broadway. On Tuesday, musicians and producers finally came to an agreement that effectively ended the crippling musician strike that shut down the Great White Way last weekend.
The dispute arose between the League of American Theatres and Producers and Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians over a disagreement about minimums, the number of musicians required in a Broadway orchestra. Actors and other crew refused to cross the picket line, and as a result 18 of 19 Broadway shows closed.
The strike cost New York City businesses about $7 million, and box offices about $4.8 million. Restaurants and shops dependent on theatre goers for business were hit particularly hard.
According to some, the strike wasn’t completely bad. Tourists and theatre-going New Yorkers determined to see good theatre, strike or no strike, flooded Off-Broadway and non-musical shows.
Late Show Back Dave-less
“The Late Show with David Letterman” is back on the air live this week after last week’s set of reruns. The only thing missing is the host. Letterman, still battling an eye infection caused by shingles, will take another week to rest and recover. He had hoped to be back this Monday, but will require another week of recuperation. “Dave’s condition continues to improve and his overall health is excellent, but a complete recovery will require some additional time,” said his physician Dr. Louis J. Arrone.
Scheduled guest hosts include Will Ferrell tonight and a guest to be named tomorrow. Bruce Willis was the first guest host called to duty the other week and performed well, even making a few surprisingly witty comments.
The leave of absence is Letterman’s second in 21 years. The other was after heart surgery in 2000.
Newsflash: Bush Can Read
Remember “Monicagate?” Like we could forget the parade of cartoons and Saturday Night Live skits geared to make our once beloved leader look like a sex addict. Then in 2000 we elected a doofus who just can’t seem to keep those alcoholic daughters of his in check.
Just in case you thought Clinton and Bush the younger were the only Presidents to deal with scandal, a recently released book may just change your mind.
All the President’s Children: Triumph and Tragedy in the Lives of America’s First Families, written by Doug Wead, began as a study commissioned by none other than our current Pres. while he was still “the guy with bad grammar” and not “the guy with bad grammar who runs our country.” He was curious as to the fate of past presidential progeny and asked Wead to do a study.
Be sure to catch other juicy Presidential family stories presented in length, including Andrew Johnson’s son, a frequenter of brothels and less than reputable drinking halls who ended up as a “likely suicide.” And don’t fret — there’s plenty of dirt on the Kennedys as well. The book is quickly rising to the top of bestseller lists and is available wherever fine and not so fine books are sold.
Bringing Down the House Shakes up the Box Office
Bringing Down the House, the new Steve Martin and Queen Latifah flick adored by some for its biting humor, ostracized by others as one big ethnic joke, took over first place in the box office this past weekend by pulling down $31.7 million. The solid intake was one of the highest March debuts in history.
Archived article by Jason Mednick