[Dixielandjazz] Broadway Pit Bands in Trouble

[dhs@ev1.net]

Dear Listers:

I am enclosing an article sent by a friend.  Live music performances of many
kinds are shrinking, and it seems that some very competent musicians in New
York may be out of work soon.  Perhaps you will find this interesting.  From
a jazz perspective, the Atlantic City casinos were once regarded as a gold
mine of live music jobs, but many of those jobs were eliminated by canned
music about seven years after the casinos became well established.

Regards,
Dave Stoddard
Round Rock, TX

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The following information was compiled by Local 802 of the American
Federation of Musicians in New York City in an effort to familiarize as many
people as possible with the issues that Broadway's musicians are facing in
the upcoming negotiations. If you have received this e-mail, chances are you
are either a Broadway musician yourself, a friend or family member of a
Broadway musician, or some more "distant relation" of a Broadway musician.

We ask that you forward this e-mail to as many sympathetic people as you
possibly can, even people who are not involved in the business in any way,
and even people whom you think may already be aware of this information.  We
also ask that people who receive this e-mail write letters to their local
newspapers so that people all over the US can be made aware of the threat of
Broadway's live musicians being replaced by computers playing what is
essentially recorded music.

TO SIGN OUR ON-LINE PETITION TO SAVE LIVE MUSIC ON BROADWAY, GO TO
www.savelivebroadway.com (site will be up in early January, 2003).  AEA and
IATSE members, especially those currently working on Broadway shows, we ask
you to read this information particularly carefully. And we encourage you to
talk to the musicians at your shows about any questions that you have
regarding these issues.

BACKGROUND INFO
On March 2, 2003, the agreement between Local 802 and the League of American
Theatres and Producers covering Broadway's orchestras expires.  From the
earliest days of musical theatre, every Broadway house has been required to
present musicals with a minimum number of musicians. There are no minimum
requirements for dramatic shows. The minimums were mutually agreed upon and
evolved over the years largely based on the size of the theatre and the need
for appropriate musical projection.

Over the last two decades, Broadway has seen a wide variety of musical
genres presented on stage with varying musical needs. In a few cases it led
to orchestras larger than needed and musicians on staff who were not
required to perform each night ("walkers").  In response to that, in 1993,
Local 802 and the League reached agreement on language making those minimum
orchestra sizes flexible depending upon the musical needs of a show. A panel
of prominent orchestrators, arrangers, and musical directors was put in
place to arbitrate any disputes over these artistic issues.

Since 1993, Local 802 and the panel have approved sharply reduced orchestras
for a number of shows, including Smokey Joe's Cafe, On the Town, Footloose,
Chicago, High Society, Swingin' on a Star, Civil War, Swing, Aida, Mamma
Mia, Movin' Out and Amour. Over this 9 year period, the system put in place
has worked.  There have been no "walkers". Musicals have been presented with
a wide variety of orchestra sizes, and Live Broadway has flourished.

What then are the issues in these negotiations?
The employers want the right to further reduce and/or eliminate orchestras.
They claim they need the "artistic discretion" to decide on the musical
needs of a show.

Who should be making the musical decisions about a show?
Decisions about the musical needs of a show are properly made by the
composer, arranger, orchestrator, and music director, often in consultation
with the director and choreographer. These are the people involved in making
these decisions, and they have made clear to Local 802 that their ability to
do so depends upon the minimum orchestra requirements in the Local 802
contract. Without these minimums, they would not have the latitude to
continue to create the musical theatre that has made Broadway so successful
over the last several decades.

If it's not about "walkers" or artistic discretion, what is the issue? Why
are they making demands to change something that seems to be working?
Broadway producers believe that the technology exists to replace many, if
not most, of the orchestra members with synthesized or digitally recorded
(sampled) musical sounds. Saving the cost of these musicians' salaries would
mean greater payoff to investors and theater owners. Their demands have
nothing to do with "walkers" or "artistic" needs. Their demands are purely
economic.  It's interesting to note that the musicians, who are the people
who make a Broadway musical a musical, represent a small percentage of the
average ticket price, ranging from a low of 2.1% ($1.76) to a high of 11.4%
($6.35), with the overall average 6.1%, based on the latest information from
the League.

Consumers should ask themselves two questions: is it worth this small amount
to have real musicians instead of machines providing the music in this apex
of live theatre?; and if the producers were able to eliminate some or all of
the musicians, would they pass this savings on to the ticket buyers?

Is Broadway in trouble? Do they need financial help?
Broadway grosses have set new box office records in each year of the last
decade, the one exception being 2001 when the impact of 9/11 was felt.
However, with the help and sacrifice of all the employees on Broadway, by
the summer of 2002, Broadway had bounced back and is now once again
reporting record grosses. The profits of long running shows, particularly
long running musicals, are measured in the billions of dollars.

What if the producers got their way? What would happen to Broadway Theatre?
We believe that audiences view Broadway Theatre as the pinnacle of this art
form. Broadway is about quality: quality design, quality live performance,
quality technical work, and quality live music. New York is the destination
for those who want to see the highest caliber of live musical theatre. Half
of our audiences are tourists who come to NYC just to attend the theatre.
Why would they continue to come if the same caliber of show could be seen in
their local theater or concert hall? In the quest for short term profits,
producers seem willing to kill the goose that lays the golden egg eight
times a week in Broadway theaters.

Could they possibly be that short sighted?
We hope not. However, we know the kind of short term economic
decision-making that is so prevalent in the business world today.
Certainly Broadway producers are not immune. But we can't allow a few
misguided employers to turn midtown Manhattan into Las Vegas or an
entertainment theme park. Broadway Theatre is an important economic engine
for the city of New York. Cheapening our product could not only threaten all
of our jobs and futures, it could also do serious damage to the NYC economy.
We all have a stake in protecting the quality of live musical theatre.

Once again, TO SIGN OUR ON-LINE PETITION TO SAVE LIVE MUSIC ON BROADWAY
AND FOR MORE INFORMATION, GO TO www.savelivebroadway.com (site will be up in
early January, 2003).