Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Live Saturday
Broadway Musicians, Actors Walk Off Job
Aired March 08, 2003 - 18:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In New York, the show must not go on, after Broadway musicians and actors walked off the job. Serena Altschul takes a look at how the lights went out on Broadway.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SERENA ALTSCHUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thousands of theatergoers hoping to catch a Broadway musical, were left out in the cold.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm from Massachusetts and we're just here for the weekend. And we were hoping to see a performance this evening and we had tickets for "Aida" and we're a little disappointed we're not going to be able to see the show.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it is unfortunate because the people who really get hurt, in the end, are those people, like us, we came all the way from South Dakota. We're standing here, we may not be able to go see anymore shows. So, those are the people that really get hurt.
ALTSCHUL: And 17 Broadway musicals, including crowd pleasers like "Mama Mia" and "Hairspray," shut down after actors said they wouldn't cross picket lines of striking musicians.
HARVEY FIRESTEIN, HAIRSPRAY: We're professionals, we're artists, and a machine is a dead thing. Though, it is played by a human being it is still a computer, and that's not why people go to the live theater. It is certainly not why I want to be in the live theater.
ALTSCHUL: The musicians went on strike Friday night after they were unable to reach a deal with producers over the number of musicians mandated for each show.
BILL DENNISON, LOCAL 302: To be honest with you, this is no longer -- if it ever was -- about creativity issues on the other side. They have made clear to us that this is about money and nothing else.
ALTSCHUL: Broadway producers say in addition to the high costs of being told how many musicians they are forced to hire, it stifles creativity. Creativity that will indefinitely be missed as the lights go out on Broadway.
Serena Altschul, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE) TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired March 8, 2003 - 18:23 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: In New York, the show must not go on, after Broadway musicians and actors walked off the job. Serena Altschul takes a look at how the lights went out on Broadway.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SERENA ALTSCHUL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Thousands of theatergoers hoping to catch a Broadway musical, were left out in the cold.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm from Massachusetts and we're just here for the weekend. And we were hoping to see a performance this evening and we had tickets for "Aida" and we're a little disappointed we're not going to be able to see the show.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it is unfortunate because the people who really get hurt, in the end, are those people, like us, we came all the way from South Dakota. We're standing here, we may not be able to go see anymore shows. So, those are the people that really get hurt.
ALTSCHUL: And 17 Broadway musicals, including crowd pleasers like "Mama Mia" and "Hairspray," shut down after actors said they wouldn't cross picket lines of striking musicians.
HARVEY FIRESTEIN, HAIRSPRAY: We're professionals, we're artists, and a machine is a dead thing. Though, it is played by a human being it is still a computer, and that's not why people go to the live theater. It is certainly not why I want to be in the live theater.
ALTSCHUL: The musicians went on strike Friday night after they were unable to reach a deal with producers over the number of musicians mandated for each show.
BILL DENNISON, LOCAL 302: To be honest with you, this is no longer -- if it ever was -- about creativity issues on the other side. They have made clear to us that this is about money and nothing else.
ALTSCHUL: Broadway producers say in addition to the high costs of being told how many musicians they are forced to hire, it stifles creativity. Creativity that will indefinitely be missed as the lights go out on Broadway.
Serena Altschul, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE) TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
