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55-719: Karen Hauser, research director for the Broadway League , developed the Internet Broadway Database, which was launched in 1996 or 2001. Prior to that, she served as the League's media director. She has written on the economic health of Broadway and how it contributes to New York City's economy as well as that of the cities that touring productions visit. Hauser co-produced the 2000 production of Keith Reddin 's The Perpetual Patient . This comprehensive history of Broadway provides records of productions from

110-576: A book or through-storyline ( vaudeville , cabarets , circuses ) may be represented by the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA). The AEA works to negotiate quality living conditions, livable wages, and benefits for performers and stage managers. A theater or production that is not produced and performed by AEA members may be called "non-Equity". Leading up to the Actors' and Producers' strike of 1929, Hollywood and California in general had

165-483: A license from the Department of State and are prohibited from reselling tickets within 500 feet of theatres or box offices. In the following years the League expanded its charter several times. In 1938, the League became the official collective bargaining unit representing the theatre owners and producers on Broadway to negotiate labor agreements with unions such as Actors' Equity. With the decline of Broadway in

220-514: A major role in the recognition of the impact the AIDS epidemic on the world of theater, co-founding Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS . In 2021, Actor's Equity introduced an "Open Access" membership policy, whereby "any theatre worker who can demonstrate they have worked professionally as an actor or stage manager within Equity's geographical jurisdiction" may join the union. This opened eligibility to

275-568: A member of one of Equity's sister performing arts unions, the "Four A's": SAG-AFTRA , AGMA , AGVA or GIAA . Such applicants must have been a member of said sister union for at least one year, be a member in good standing of that union, have worked as a performer under the union's jurisdiction on a principal or "under-five" contract or at least three days of extra ("background") work, and must have completed non-union theatrical work. The AEA has several different types of contract, with different rules associated with them. Each contract type deals with

330-631: A more organized equality strike. Starting on June 5, 1929, Gillmore attended several meetings in New York with the heads of Broadway. After the meeting, he notified the AEA that appearances in sound and talking motion pictures had been suspended until the outcome of the meetings with the international Studio Crafts Union. Due to the negotiations and the suspension of contracts through the AEA, studios were desperate for actors to speed up production, which had dropped significantly. The New York Times wrote, "It

385-431: A program that encourages high school and college students to pursue non-performance careers in theatre, was also created as a part of Viva Broadway. Operated by the research department of the League, The Internet Broadway Database (IBDB) is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel, including lengths of runs, lists of casts and creators, awards and nominations, and past box office grosses. It

440-413: A series of workers' equality battles that directly influenced the film industry. The films The Passaic Textile Strike (1926), The Miners' Strike (1928) and The Gastonia Textile Strike (1929) gave audience and producers insight into the effect and accomplishments of labor unions and striking. These films were set apart by being current documentaries, not merely melodramas produced for glamor. In 1896,

495-453: A specific type of theater venue or production type. These include, but are not limited to: Council of Resident Stock Theatres (CORST), Guest Artist, Letters of Agreement (LoA), League of Resident Theatres (LoRT) Small Professional Theatres (SPT), and Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA). AEA actors and stage managers are not allowed to work in non-Equity houses or on any productions in which an Equity Agreement has not been signed anywhere within

550-443: A studio would put out worldwide. On July 20, 1929, the AEA gained its first victory, which gave producers and actors a leg to stand on in their battle for equality. Over 30 days (up to August 20, 1929), Gillmore fought to give the AEA the ability to represent all actors, producers, radio personality, vaudeville performers, and agents in the country. This would also give all power and representation to one organization in order to create

605-796: Is "a definitive source for the facts on Broadway musicals and plays from Aristophanes to Ziegfeld," according to the New York Public Library. In 2012, the League introduced a free iOS app for IBDB that contain much of the same information as the website, as well as photos and videos from current Broadway productions. The League serves as the central hub for statistical information about Broadway theatre production in North America. Its research department maintains historical data on individual playhouses and productions. In addition, many reference documents, including weekly box office grosses and season-by-season statistics, are available to

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660-608: The Dramatists Guild of America , an organization composed of playwrights, composers, and lyricists, to engage authors for Broadway productions. Even though the Guild is not a union because authors are not employees of producers or theatres, the Guild provides the Approved Production Contract, a contract template for authors to use in negotiations with producers. Out of 40 existing Broadway theatres,

715-529: The Hollywood blacklist , the AEA refused to participate. Although its constitution guaranteed its members the right to refuse to work alongside Communists , or a member of a Communist front organization, the AEA did not ban any members. At a 1997 ceremony commemorating the blacklist's 50th anniversary, Richard Masur , then president of the Screen Actors Guild, apologized for its participation in

770-917: The League of American Theatres and Producers and League of New York Theatres and Producers , is the national trade association for the Broadway theatre industry based in New York City . Its members include theatre owners and operators, producers , presenters , and general managers in New York and more than 250 other North American cities, as well as suppliers of goods and services to the theatre industry. Founded in 1930 primarily to counter ticket speculation and scalping, The Broadway League has expanded its mission and programs over time. In addition to negotiating labor agreements with 14 unions in New York City and engaging in lobbying initiatives throughout

825-527: The New Amsterdam Theatre , also negotiates labor agreements independently, as well as a handful of others. The Local 802 of AFM, the union representing the musicians on Broadway, entered into a strike in March 2003 and was joined by other Broadway unions such as AEA and IATSE. The strike lasted from Friday, March 7, 2003, to early Tuesday morning, March 11, 2003. The focus of the negotiation

880-528: The $ 15 million is recouped. The League hopes that the benefits of Section 181 would make attracting investors easier, because the investors are currently paying income taxes before recoupment, without making any profit from projects. The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live American theatre. The Tony Awards are presented by

935-540: The 1980s the League changed its name to the "League of American Theatres and Producers" and began to expand its domain to theatres across the United States. On December 18, 2007 the League adopted its current name, "The Broadway League". In a press statement announcing the name change, the League explained that its membership is "not limited to theatre owners and producers, but includes Broadway presenters, general managers and other Broadway industry professionals," and

990-475: The 2022-2023 and the 2023–2024 seasons. Both seasons featured theater attendance of approximately 12.3 million each. The Broadway League has more than 700 members representing the Broadway theatre industry in New York and more than 200 other North American cities across the United States. In addition to theatre owners, producers, presenters, general managers who create productions and operate theatres across

1045-405: The Broadway season. The 21st annual event was held on June 6, 2007, and the casts of dozens of Broadway shows took part. Though the event was not held from 2008 to 2013, it returned in 2014 featuring Norm Lewis as the host. Tony Awards Preview Concert was a cabaret-style concert featuring songs from Tony-nominated shows held in 2008, 2009 and 2013. The 2013 concert, hosted by Mario Lopez ,

1100-492: The League became a co-presenter in 1967. Prior to 2000, membership in what was then the League of American Theaters and Producers was lifetime for all dues-paying above-the-title producers of Broadway shows. Members received two free tickets to all Broadway shows, and ballots for the Tony Awards, vouching that they had seen all shows in every category in which they voted. In 2000, the League changed membership eligibility to "active" producers, those who had been above-the-title in

1155-643: The League described in its charter was to "protect the general public patrons of the theater, owners of theatrical entertainments, operators of theaters and reputable theater ticket brokers against the evils of speculation of theater tickets." The League's first successful act was the writing of the Theater Ticket Code of Fair Practice (together with Actors' Equity ) which became a state law in 1940. These efforts are still relevant today, as ticket resellers in New York State are required to obtain

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1210-416: The League hands out questionnaires at select performances to directly survey audience members. The survey tracks basic demographic information such as their gender, age, place of residence, and ethnicity, as well as theatergoing behaviors such as the number of plays and musicals they have attended in the past six months. For example, The New York Times reported that "tourists accounted for nearly two-thirds of

1265-545: The League include opposing an 8 percent levy on theatre tickets proposed by Governor David Paterson in 2009, and securing tax deductions for suppliers of physical goods used by theatrical productions. The Broadway League, in conjunction with the National Football League and large churches, is protesting against the U.S. Federal Communications Commission 's plans to auction the frequencies used by wireless microphones used in theatres and venues throughout

1320-543: The National Broadway Theatre Awards. The awards were presented by the League to "celebrate excellence in touring Broadway by honoring the artists and productions that visit cities across the country each year." The Broadway League produces various concert programs such as Broadway on Broadway and Stars in the Alley to promote productions currently running on Broadway. Broadway on Broadway

1375-588: The Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of American Theatre Wing and the League, at an annual ceremony in New York City . The awards are mostly for Broadway productions and performances, though an award for regional theatres and discretionary non-competitive Special Tony Award and the Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre are also given. The awards were founded by the Wing in 1947, and

1430-705: The U.S. As a result of lobbying initiatives by the Broadway League, in February 2015, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) reintroduced legislation named The Support Theaters in America Growth and Expansion Act that would provide Broadway and live theatrical productions federal tax benefits already given to film and TV productions. Under Section 181 of the tax code, U.S.-based film and TV productions are able to immediately expense up to $ 15 million and do not pay taxes on income until

1485-568: The audience base for Broadway productions. For example, Kids' Night on Broadway was created by the League and the Theater Development Fund to provide families across the U.S. affordable access to Broadway productions. On Kids' Night On Broadway, children from ages 6 to 18 receive free tickets to participating Broadway shows when accompanied by a paying adult. Similarly, Family First Nights introduce economically at-risk families to Broadway productions in New York as well as around

1540-562: The ban, saying: "Only our sister union, Actors' Equity Association, had the courage to stand behind its members and help them continue their creative lives in the theater. For that, we honor Actors' Equity tonight." In the 1960s, the AEA played a role in gaining public funding for the arts, including the founding of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The AEA fought the destruction of historic Broadway theaters . It played

1595-434: The beginnings of New York theatre in the 18th century up to today. Details include cast and creative lists for opening night and current day, song lists, awards and other interesting facts about every Broadway production. Other features of IBDB include an extensive archive of photos from past and present Broadway productions, headshots, links to cast recordings on iTunes or Amazon, gross and attendance information. Its mission

1650-727: The collectively bargained agreements the League negotiates with unions only apply to the theatres owned by the Shubert Organization , Jujamcyn Theaters , and the Nederlander Organization . Theatres owned and operated by not-for-profit organizations such as the Roundabout Theatre Company , Lincoln Center Theater , and Manhattan Theatre Club are under the jurisdiction of the League of Resident Theatres which negotiates separate agreements with unions. Disney Theatrical Group , which owns

1705-457: The country through subsidized tickets. In 2012, the League launched a new audience development program named Viva Broadway, which focuses on Hispanic communities around the country. Working with Hispanic media outlets, Viva Broadway aims to promote Broadway to Hispanic families, proposing theatergoing experiences that fit their lifestyles and cultural traditions to engage in family activities involving multiple generations. Broadway Speakers Bureau,

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1760-576: The country, The League recognizes excellent works and artists through award programs such as the Tony Awards , promotes the Broadway theatre industry through audience development programs such as Kids' Night on Broadway and Viva Broadway, and provides periodic studies and industry information such as box office grosses and demographic surveys for journalists, scholars, and the general public. According to The Broadway League, shows on Broadway sold approximately US$ 1.54 billion worth of tickets in both

1815-429: The country, industry specialists and vendors such as press agents, booking agents, advertising agencies, and scenery, costume, and prop shops are all eligible for membership. The League was founded in 1930 as the "League of New York Theatres and Producers". It was founded by Broadway theatre operators to further common interests, with the main purpose of fighting ticket speculation and scalping . The original purpose of

1870-404: The daily minimum during the load-in to 17 stagehands, allowing the producers to hire stagehands based on daily workload. The Broadway League has advocated for the needs of commercial theatre industry with local, state and national elected officials throughout its history, beginning with writing of the Theater Ticket Code of Fair Practice which became a state law in 1940. Recent lobbying efforts by

1925-743: The first Actors Union Charter was recognized by the American Federation of Labor as an attempt to create a minimum wage for actors being exploited. It was not until January 13, 1913, that the Union Charter failed. It later reemerged as the Actors Equity Association, with more than 111 actors and Francis Wilson as its founding board president. At a meeting held at the Pabst Grand Circle Hotel in New York City, on May 26, 1913, Actors' Equity

1980-549: The head of the Times Square Business Improvement District, explained that "a lot of folks come to New York specifically to go to a Broadway show and with this cloud of uncertainty, they postpone or cancel their trips. So that's a double hit." According to the New York City comptroller's office, the strike resulted in $ 2 million in lost revenue per day in addition to the lost ticket sales, mounting to $ 40 million total. The main conflict in

2035-473: The loss of their jobs. The theater strikes combined with freelance contracts fueled the need for actors and stagehands to strike for better working conditions and pay. Frank Gillmore , the head and treasurer of the Actor's Equity Association, understood that he would need multiple unions across the country to make a change not only in proper representation and pay, but in actors' ability to negotiate any contract

2090-488: The movie stage under better conditions, but this was the least of its problems. In late December, groups of theater owners and non-represented producers filed lawsuits to claim damages from the AEA's contract holdout. "The plaintiffs not only seek a temporary injunction against the defendants, pending trial on an order to show cause why a permanent injunction should not be granted, but also ask damages of $ 100,000." The AEA allowed small numbers of contracts to be negotiated over

2145-440: The negotiation was the work rules regarding load-ins. The existing contract required producers to determine a number of stagehands needed for the load-in ahead of time, and hire and pay all of them every day for the entire load-in period, which could take weeks to months for large-scale productions. However, because the workload differs everyday, many stagehands often just stayed in the theatres with nothing to do. The new contract set

2200-686: The new name "more aptly reflects the composition of the League's membership." The Broadway League is a collective bargaining unit representing Broadway producers and theatre owners, and negotiates labor agreements with 14 unions in New York City to set the minimum terms (fees, salaries, work rules, etc.) for hiring union members. Broadway productions are fully unionized, and all employees are members of unions such as Actors' Equity Association (AEA), Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), Local 802 of American Federation of Musicians (AFM), and Local One of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). The Broadway League also works with

2255-521: The new season. The concert returned in July 1993 and 1994 and moved to September on 1995. The League canceled Broadway on Broadway in 2013 and it did not return in 2014. Stars in the Alley is a free annual outdoor concert in Shubert Alley in the heart of Manhattan's Theatre District , produced by the League. It is usually held during the week of the Tony Awards, and marks the official end of

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2310-566: The next few years. In 1933, the Screen Actors Guild was created and took the AEA's place as the main representative for movie actors and producers. This allowed the AEA to focus on live productions, such as theatrical performances, while the Screen Actors Guild focused on movie production and non-scripted live performances, such as minstrel, vaudeville, and live radio shows. In the 1940s, the AEA stood against segregation . When actors were losing jobs through 1950s McCarthyism and

2365-415: The previous 10 years. This action dis-enfranchised scores of Tony voters, including Gail Berman , Harve Brosten , Dick Button , Tony Lo Bianco , and Raymond Serra . The Touring Broadway Awards (TBAs) recognized outstanding achievement in touring productions of Broadway plays and musicals in North America from 2000 to 2009. Founded in 2000–2001 season by the League, the awards were known until 2004 as

2420-552: The public, journalists, and scholars via the website. Theatre publications such as The New York Times , Playbill , and Variety publish databases and articles using data provided by the League. The research department also publishes annual reports that track trends in the industry over time including the Demographics of the Broadway Audience and Broadway's Economic Contribution. To obtain demographic information,

2475-510: The tickets sold for Broadway shows" and "those who saw 15 shows or more made up only 5 percent of the overall audience, but accounted for 29 percent of admissions" in 2010–11 season based on the studies published by the League. Actors%27 Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association ( AEA ), commonly called Actors' Equity or simply Equity , is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without

2530-516: The union to theatre workers who had not previously worked for Equity employers. Theatre workers need to provide a copy of their contract and proof of pay. This policy was made permanent in 2023, superseding previous methods for earning eligibility to join Equity such as the Equity Membership Candidate (EMC) program. Asides from Open Access, theatre workers may join Equity by being employed under an Equity contract, or by being

2585-596: Was a free annual outdoor concert kicking off the Broadway season each September, usually on the first Sunday after Labor Day, produced by the League and the Times Square Alliance. Initially conceived as a welcome party for delegates to the 1992 Democratic National Convention in New York, the event took place on a special stage created for the event in Times Square , featuring musical numbers from current Broadway shows as well as upcoming shows opening in

2640-598: Was aired at various times and dates in 18 cities across the United States and included interviews from the then Tony nominees such as Lin-Manuel Miranda , Andrea Martin , Mark Rylance , and Rob Ashford . Other concert programs include Broadway Under the Stars , an annual evening concert held from 2002 to 2006, and a benefit concert for Viva Broadway, an audience development initiative specifically targeted to Hispanic communities. The Broadway League leads audience development programs targeting specific communities to broaden

2695-512: Was founded by 112 professional theater actors, who established its constitution and elected Francis Wilson as president. Leading up to the association's establishment, a handful of influential actors—known as The Players—held secret organizational meetings at Edwin Booth's The Players at its Gramercy Park mansion. A bronze plaque commemorates the room in which The Players met to establish Actors' Equity. Members included Frank Gillmore , who from

2750-597: Was founded during the strike. Equity represented directors and choreographers until 1959, when they broke away and formed their own union . The Actors Equality Strike was a series of walkouts that started in 1927 in local theaters in Los Angeles and quickly grew to the motion picture stage. During the nationwide walkouts, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences started issuing contracts to freelance film actors, which led Hollywood's actors and actresses to fear

2805-462: Was joined by other Broadway unions such as AEA and SDC, and 27 shows running on Broadway were shut down. This marked the first strike on Broadway in Local One's 120-year history, and the strike lasted for 19 days, recording the longest strike on Broadway since 1975. The economic impact of the strike spread beyond the Broadway shows, to nearby restaurants, hotels, gift shops, and bars. Tim Tompkins,

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2860-467: Was pointed out that while the Equality regulations were in effect, about 2000 motion picture contracts, involving salaries said to amount to $ 500,000 were offered to actors in New York." Any actor who entered into a contract not approved by the AEA would be banished from the union and have to reapply for admission after negotiations were finished. By December 1929, the AEA was negotiating terms to reset

2915-605: Was the executive secretary of Actors' Equity from 1918 to 1929 and president from 1929 to 1937. Actors' Equity joined the American Federation of Labor in 1919, and called a strike seeking recognition as a labor union. The strike ended the dominance of the Producing Managers' Association , including theater owners and producers like Abe Erlanger and his partner, Mark Klaw . The strike increased membership from under 3,000 to approximately 14,000. The Chorus Equity Association , which merged with Actors' Equity in 1955,

2970-549: Was the minimum number of musicians required to be employed in Broadway theatres. The labor agreement required 24 to 25 musicians to be employed in largest theatres, regardless of the needs of the actual productions presented. Under the new agreement, the minimums were reduced to 18 to 19. The most recent strike on Broadway occurred in November 2007, when the Broadway League and the stagehands union, Local One of IATSE, failed to come to agreement after months of negotiation. Local One

3025-487: Was to be an interactive, user-friendly, searchable database for League members, journalists, researchers, and Broadway fans. The League recently added Broadway Touring shows to the database for ease of tracking shows that play in theatres across the country. It is managed by Michael Abourizk of the Broadway League. This entertainment website–related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Broadway League The Broadway League , formerly

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