Looks Like They Intended to Use Canned Music

[hornplayer]

all along!

Here's the latest on the dispute between Radio City Music Hall and the Orchestra. It ain't pretty!

November 3, 2005

Musicians Show Up at Radio City, but It's Still No Deal
By CHRISTINE HAUSER

Musicians showed up to play at the Radio City Music Hall's "Christmas Spectacular" this morning after walking out the day before in protest over salaries and overtime pay, but they were not allowed to enter the theater as the dispute related to their contracts continued.

The musicians, dressed in suits and with instruments slung over their shoulders, were told by their union to report back to work today, one day after they walked out of rehearsal and went on strike just before the holiday extravaganza was to open for the season.

A recorded message on the hotline of Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians said that all musicians who were scheduled to play the 11:00 a.m. performance today should be at the stage door "dressed and ready to work."

But the local's president, David Lennon, said in remarks broadcast on television from the sidewalk outside of the music hall that although the musicians were ready to play the show "unconditionally and immediately," they were not permitted to enter.

Another official, who said he did not want to be named because he was not authorized to speak for the union, said that they had agreed to the contract and the "whole orchestra" showed up this morning.

A management spokeswoman said Radio City planned to put on the show with recorded music done by a 55-piece orchestra.

"The musicians went on strike and did not show up for rehearsals, so they cannot then decide to come back on a whim or without a contract," said the spokeswoman, Mikyl Cordova, according to a report by The Associated Press.

Barry Watkins, a spokesman for Radio City Entertainment, which produces the show, said on Wednesday that the show would feature recorded music barring any last-minute agreement.

"Radio City offered our musicians increases in salary and benefits over what is already the most lucrative contract in the industry, protected their overtime provision and provided year-round health benefits, despite the fact that the musicians work only 10 weeks," Mr. Watkins said in the statement on Wednesday. "They rejected that proposal."

But Mr. Lennon, the local's president, said on Wednesday that he was ready to accept Radio City's offer last Friday, but that the show's producers seemed to have abruptly changed their minds.

The union represents the ensemble of classical, Broadway and jazz freelancers.

Mr. Watkins has said tickets to the performances would be honored at a later performance. The annual show attracts more than a million people. Musicians can work up to six shows a day, seven days a week, and earn as much as $40,000.

Fernanda Santos and Matthew Sweeney contributed reporting for this article

[Chris D]

Well, that bluff was called pretty emphatically.

[Al in NYC]

Radio City is run by the sleazy Dolan family, who also went on a union-busting rampage at Madison Square Garden and consistently engage in finding ways to use their monopoly power to nickel-and-dime their Cablevision customers and the communities in which Cablevison holds franchises. They are scum, and mean vindictive scum at that.

[clinthopson]

Originally Posted by Al in NYC

Radio City is run by the sleazy Dolan family, who also went on a union-busting rampage at Madison Square Garden and consistently engage in finding ways to use their monopoly power to nickel-and-dime their Cablevision customers and the communities in which Cablevison holds franchises. They are scum, and mean vindictive scum at that.

Could they be Scottie's relatives?

[graypencil]

I know for a fact that the Radio City producers for the past ten years or so, have had Xmas show taped backgrounds ready for every years show in case of AFM bargaining hassels arising.

The good news is that the Rockettes agreed to observe the AFM picket line and not perform the show with the tape.

yay Equity or AGVA ( whatever ..)

[cookie]

Man, if I take the trip to NYC to see the famous Rockettes at the famous Radio City and drop money all along my route to hotels and stores and restaurants, I damn well expect that the said Rockettes will be accompanied by live musicians.

Any truly "top-quality" musical production should pay the musicians top-quality wages, IMO.

Good luck to the union.

[Ron Thorne]

Are the musicians picketing? It might attract some really interesting attention for the Dolan family to explain why so many musicians are walking around outside playing their instruments while taped music is playing inside Radio City Music Hall.

[steve(thelil)]

Some of that canned music can taste real fresh if they suck out all the moisture first.

[hornplayer]

Originally Posted by graypencil

I know for a fact that the Radio City producers for the past ten years or so, have had Xmas show taped backgrounds ready for every years show in case of AFM bargaining hassels arising.

The good news is that the Rockettes agreed to observe the AFM picket line and not perform the show with the tape.

yay Equity or AGVA ( whatever ..)

Unfortunately, GP, the Rockettes have a clause in their contract that forbids them to stage a Sympathy Strike! Sleaze strikes again!!!!

[graypencil]

Originally Posted by hornplayer

Unfortunately, GP, the Rockettes have a clause in their contract that forbids them to stage a Sympathy Strike! Sleaze strikes again!!!!

I thought the producers might just up and import one of the many non-union Rockette corps that have been performing the Xmas shows WITH TAPE for the past ten years at venues all over the country ( Branson, N Carolina, etc . )

union busting at its Republican worst!

[Ron Thorne]

There is some interesting detail in the following story from Newsday from last week.



Strike threatens Radio City's Christmas Spectacular

By VERENA DOBNIK
Associated Press Writer

October 27, 2005, 3:53 PM EDT

NEW YORK -- The Radio City Rockettes might be high-kicking this holiday season to Christmas tunes controlled by a computer.

With human musicians planning to strike, that possible scenario looms over Radio City Music Hall's famed "Christmas Spectacular" that is to open Nov. 3 for 10 weeks.

Although the show could still go on with replacement musicians or electronically synthesized music, a more remote scenario could also occur: Other unionized Radio City employees could refuse to cross the picket line, threatening to shut down a show that has entertained kids and adults for seven decades.

The labor cliffhanger is not likely to end until opening day, when spectators from around the world hope to start lining up for a show that carries ticket prices of up to $250. Union members not directly involved in a labor dispute typically wait until the last moment to play their trump card _ refusing to cross the line.

The orchestra's five-year contract expired in May, and meetings all summer failed to produce an agreement with Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians on salary and overtime issues.

On Wednesday, the battle reached a high pitch at a Manhattan rally, with hundreds of musicians and supporters staging a boisterous, music-filled protest on Sixth Avenue in front of the hall, behind police barricades.

"Don't let Cablevision $teal Christmas," read the words on red and green T-shirts worn by the protesters. Cablevision owns Madison Square Garden, the Knicks, the Rangers and the Radio City Entertainment company that owns the show.

Radio City Entertainment released a statement saying it "has offered our musicians an extremely fair contract proposal, following what is already the most lucrative musicians' contract in the industry. The contract includes increases in salary and benefits and fully protects the existing overtime system. They have rejected that proposal and walked away from the table."

Michael Cordova, a company spokeswoman, said that in the event of a strike, "we are exploring all our options. We're reaching out to orchestra musicians all over the world."

The company reportedly approached out-of-work New Orleans musicians who were in New York recently playing a Hurricane Katrina fund-raiser. But they declined after being told of the labor dispute.

At Wednesday's rally, each speaker was introduced with a fanfare played by Radio City brass players. Above the Radio City marquee, an inflated cougar with bared teeth faced the protesters _ a counter-reference to the blown-up rat that often accompanies New York union protests.

"This is about union-busting by a corporate giant digging into the pockets of the musicians," said trombonist Mark Johansen, who works to support his three children. "At every negotiating session, we've been met with threats: 'If you don't accept this or that, we'll hire other musicians or use tape. Take it or leave it.' There's no negotiating."

He said Radio City Entertainment is trying to cut the musicians' base pay of $133 per show; that is about $40 less than standard Broadway pays, Johansen said. At the height of the Christmas season, the orchestra works as many as six 90-minute shows every day _ at overtime pay beyond the first two. The musicians must play at least 12 shows a week.

On average, Johansen said, a musician doing 150 of about 200 shows in the run would make about $25,000; orchestra members also receive very basic year-round health benefits.

"They work like dogs _ once a year like the people who sell Christmas trees. For many, this is their main job, their livelihood," said Cenovia Cummins, a violinist who fills for the musicians during the 10 weeks. "Corporations are taking over tradition, and their bottom line is money. They don't understand what a gift they have here in this old-style vaudeville show they're destroying."

Union members said the company had agreed to keep the contract's overtime clause _ while in effect cutting their salaries. The musicians said Radio City Entertainment in fact offered an increase of 1.5 percent while they asked for about a 3 percent cost-of-living raise. But the company said a second orchestra would be hired, which would mean the musicians' income would be cut in half, they said.

Radio City Entertainment would not give details of their offer, saying they do not comment on negotiations.

The president of Radio City Entertainment, Jay Marciano, calls the union "greedy."

And, he warns, "there are new synthesizers that can recreate orchestras," producing "canned music" for anything from "Silent Night" to the high-kick tunes.

The unionized Rockettes reached their contract agreement last week.

Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.

[graypencil]

"The president of Radio City Entertainment, Jay Marciano, calls the union "greedy."

And, he warns, "there are new synthesizers that can recreate orchestras," producing "canned music" for anything from "Silent Night" to the high-kick tunes."


This device ( called the virtual orchestra ) is a combination synthesizer/sampler /computer that allows one person to control all the canned music with appropriate ritards, tempos, etc with no other live musical participation.

This is the same device that the AFM succeeded in banning from the Broadway pits in a nasty fight last year.

It appears the camels nose is trying again to get into the tent.