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Broadway the Next Industry to See a Strike?

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    NY Post Theatre Columnist Michael Riedel on the potential strike facing Broadway shows.

  • Duration 2:57
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-- -- The unions.

Lehman talk about the -- week -- -- all over the headlines the reading to strike.

And now one of New York city's biggest tourist attractions Broadway could face a -- -- before the end of the year.

With more we're joined by -- post comments -- might -- -- and host of you to talk on PBS I'm sorry Michael regal.

And tell me this is different up from the 2007.

Yes yes yes what suddenly the unions that's threat threatening to go on strike -- the importers in the cleaners.

It's a very small union not very powerful stage hands union went on strike -- to about seven.

They are one of the most powerful unions in the country when they threaten to go on strike.

You should be scared -- was shut down for ninety days the last time which cost the city millions and millions of dollars.

I don't think this time it's gonna happen I think that the unions Saber rattling a little bit trying to put the pressure on the producers but I talked a lot of theater owners and producers today and -- -- think they'll be able to settle this.

OK but still -- prices -- control and a lot of it has to do with these unions right I mean.

Average book of Mormon -- 193 dollars you can take your family to see this now there -- -- things that worked fell off Broadway is a labor intensive business at some kind of a hand crafted business in some ways it's always have powerful unions factors the powerful union is -- musicians have a powerful union.

But the producers have realized.

That there was a demand for the hot shows and there are a number of couple of people around the world we -- to pay these what I think are outrageous prices to see to hit -- and I asked them producer of the book of Mormon -- -- at how many tickets at 450 dollars do you wanna sell.

And he said as many as we -- is is not a nonprofit business broadway's big business.

And if the market -- those prices then they're gonna get him and that's the thing people are paying it so there's no real argument there and you can't get a book of Mormon ticket for at least a year now what's problem -- is this -- embargo it's either feast or -- you either smash hit show that everybody wants to see in the gonna pay all that amount of money.

Or year discounting tickets heavily and because of your cost structure.

Driven largely by the cost of the unions.

You have very little wiggle room with your ticket prices so you're on the half price with here you can -- very quickly but it's really -- I walked down forty ninth -- -- -- -- prosecutors and some days.

They care turn over faster I mean -- the before the week's out -- I think you're shelling is it the trucks loading the sets out a bloody and all of them don't -- very same week.

But tourism -- almost 63%.

Of -- ticket sales.

Our tourists are they come back to share yeah they are up this is a little shaky seize on Broadway largely because the quality of the shows have been pretty -- A lot of shows a close very quickly.

And probably lives or -- really by how good to show you -- it's a creative business with very -- people but everyone comes a -- from time to time just so happens -- -- -- we've had if you -- bumper crop of.

At -- should save about -- and a -- I think the book of Mormon as well where I got -- -- you gotta pay and benefits worth paying a high -- best argument -- I'm only kidding I'm Monica governor kimberlite -- around on the Internet sometimes you can find a good deal on the week nights.

-- -- Michael thanks for being concealed.

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