Actors’ Equity members have already voted to authorize a strike; American Federation of Musicians members are close to authorizing one. Box office revenue has hit an all-time high, and performers believe they deserve a piece of it; producers say new musicals have been failing at a shockingly high rate. - The New York Times
“There’s a woman who’s a lesbian and Jewish, who did a show (at the Riyadh Comedy Festival), and she got a standing ovation. … So, the fact that that’s opening up and starting to bud, I wanna see it, I wanna be part of it. I think that’s a positive thing.” - The Guardian
“There are various reasons why, including Baltimore’s proximity to New York, the city’s revered venues and history as a theater town. ... More recently, another factor has helped lure Broadway productions ready to hit the road: Maryland’s Theatrical Production Tax Credit, which can earn up to $2 million back to a production.” - The Baltimore Banner
“I have a real problem with the idea that theater is meant to achieve narrative fluidity, as if it could somehow resolve the world’s chaos,” he said. “It drives me crazy. A show, to me, has to be a mass of contradictory elements.” - The New York Times
Herbert Kretzmer's letters to Cameron Mackintosh would indicate he did not. “I must emphasise that Les Miserables is not a show translated or re-written, but a show reborn,” he wrote. (Truly, anyone who listens to the French and English-language versions might agree.) - BBC
Padrón, who joined the theatre in 2019, led the nonprofit through a period of change that included adopting a new producing model, staging performances in multiple venues, and expanding community partnerships. - Hartford Business
Dutchman, written in 1964 (when Baraka was still LeRoi Jones), is set in a sweltering subway car years before air-conditioning. Recently, for the second time, Rashid Johnson staged the play in a setting hotter than an old C train in July: the sauna at Manhattan’s Russian and Turkish Baths. - The New York Times
Ultimately what causes shows to take longer to recoup their initial capitalization is the high costs associated with operating a show. It’s well documented that the single largest line item in most shows budgets is the cost of being in the theatre. - Broadway World
Actors' Equity negotiations with the Broadway League are continuing for now, even though the last three-year contract ended on September 28. The number-one issue is healthcare and the contribution the Broadway League makes to the union's healthcare fund. - Reuters
“Jonathan Church, known for his work as a director and producer on multiple hit shows in London’s West End, and as the leader of several major regional houses in the U.K., will succeed Antoni Cimolino next fall.” - Toronto Star
The London production of Rebecca Frecknall’s staging, for which the theatre was remodeled into a seedy Kit Kat Club, is going strong after four years and over 1,500 performances. The New York production closed after 18 months at a big loss, and producers are suing each other. Why the difference? - The Observer (UK)
In its statement announcing the event, the General Entertainment Authority described the festival as "the largest of its kind globally," adding that it "reflects the efforts to amplify Riyadh's status as a leading destination for major cultural and artistic events." - NPR
The tensions and controversies over how Mexico, the largest Spanish-speaking country in the world today, should interpret both its Indigenous and Spanish past remain live issues, not just for academics but for politics and culture at large. - Foreign Policy
“I try to write at least two hours every day, if not longer. Writing is my favorite part of the day. It’s my creativity moment. I treat it as sacred.” Then the actor and playwright bikes to work at the Public. - The New York Times
