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Curtains Go Up On Broadway

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By VERENA DOBNIK, The Associated Press

Published: November 30, 2007

NEW YORK - Broadway came back to life Thursday as stage-starved fans lined up in the cold for tickets and theaters reopened their doors following a 19-day stagehands strike that took a big toll on the local economy.

The mood was ecstatic all around the theater district. Tourists, actors, stagehands, restaurants, musicians, hot dog vendors - basically anyone remotely affected by Broadway - were all thrilled about the return of musicals and plays.

"I never thought I'd have the opportunity to see a Broadway show! And the price is right," Canadian tourist Susie Biamonte said as she waited for steeply discounted $26.50 tickets to "Chicago."

The strike inflicted serious harm on Broadway during one of the best times of the year. Officials estimated that the city lost about $38 million because of the strike.

Right up to the last day, both sides struggled with what apparently was the final hang-up: the issue of wages. It concerned how much to pay stagehands in return for a reduction in what the producers say were onerous work rules that required them to hire more stagehands than are needed.

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