NYS Music 202​0

Tag: manhattan

  • New York Philharmonic pay cuts suggest pandemic will last

    Under the financial stress of the pandemic, the New York Philharmonic musicians have agreed to a four-year contract with 25% salary cuts until August 2023.

    From nyphil.org

    Although pay will increase from 2023 to 2024, the wage cuts total more than $20 million, and musicians will still be paid less than at the start of the pandemic when the contract ends. Deborah Borda, Chief Executive and President of the orchestra, honestly stated that the cuts were “necessary.” The pandemic will keep the Philharmonic closed for at least 15 months, causing at least $31 million in losses.

    Musicians have had wage cuts since May, but this contract is the most substantial. However, musicians at the New York Philharmonic have been understanding. The head of the player’s negotiating committee, Colin Williams, said “in recognition of the challenges of this time, we have done our part to help preserve the institution by forgoing more than $20 million of our wages.”

    New York Philharmonic
    Photo by Chris lee from nyphil.org

    In venues like the Metropolitan Opera, where 30% pay cuts have been requested, not all workers are willing to deal with such financial losses. The Met’s management planned to lock out workers who had not agreed to the proposed cuts. The employees of the opera have been without pay since April and will not be paid until the cuts are accepted. After the venue begins to recover financially, the cuts will be reduced to 15%. At the Philharmonic, cuts will drop to 10%.

    The Philharmonic has cancelled all planned shows up until June 2021. This is only a portion of NYC’s live art impacted by the pandemic. All Broadway theaters are closed until May 2021 at least, making this the longest time Broadway has been dark, ever.

    The contract, which ends in 2024, makes the lasting impact of this pandemic even more visible to the art and music community. Despite live venues’ plan to open sometime this upcoming year, it is clear that the financial road to recovery will be slow.

  • Broadway Stays Dark Until May 2021

    On March 12, all Broadway theaters went dark due to the coronavirus pandemic. Theaters hoped on opening this January, but the shutdown has been extended through at least May 30, 2021.

    Broadway Stays Dark
    A poster on Times Square advertises West Side Story at the Broadway Theater on February 7, 2020 in New York City. – Westside Story is returning to Broadway for the first time in more than a decade, directed by Belgian Ivo Van Hove. (Photo by Johannes EISELE / AFP) (Photo by JOHANNES EISELE/AFP via Getty Images)

    On October 9, The Broadway League announced that Broadway will remain dark until next Summer. This shutdown is the longest ever in Broadway’s history. If theaters open as planned next May, shows will have been closed for 444 days, keeping thousands out of work for more than a year.

    “With nearly 97,000 workers who rely on Broadway for their livelihood and an annual economic impact of $14.8 billion to the city, our membership is committed to re-opening as soon as conditions permit us to do so. We are working tirelessly with multiple partners on sustaining the industry once we raise our curtains again.”

    Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League

    Before the shutdown, 31 productions were running on Broadway, including 8 new shows in previews. 8 additional shows were in rehearsals with plans to open last spring. Hangmen, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and Disney’s Frozen struggled greatly and closed permanently. Shows like Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster’s revival of The Music Man, American Buffalo, and The Minutes postponed their opening dates. The Music Man announced plans to open on February 10, 2022.

    Broadway Stays Dark
    Photo by Kate Glicksberg

    Needless to say, the Broadway community’s fans and workers are heartbroken. The Broadway League announced that although the current opening date is May 30, individual production’s reopening dates may differ. The League suggests that “theatregoers holding tickets for dates through May 30, 2021 should contact their point of purchase for details about exchanges and refunds.”

    Amid this crisis, fans can still look forward to the 2020 Tony Awards. The show will be presented virtually, and the nominees for each category will be announced October 15.

  • Elmo Makes Lincoln Center Debut on ‘A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration’

    Jazz at Lincoln Center makes music for all ages–even toddlers. On October 30 at 9PM EST, Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration will debut on national PBS stations.

    sesame street

    The hour-long special will feature the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis along with Elmo, Bert & Ernie, Big Bird, Herry Monster, Grover, Oscar the Grouch, The Count, Abby, Hoots the Owl, and Rosita.

    sesame street
    Wynton Marsalis and Ernie

    The orchestra takes Sesame Street favorites like “Rubber Duckie,” “I Don’t Want to Live on the Moon,” and “People in Your Neighborhood” and re-imagines them for the stage. On October 30, PBS will premier the Sesame Street gang singing these classics to a sold out audience.

    Since 1969, Sesame Street has introduced young children to music and culture. Jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock, and Mary Lou Williams all performed on the show. Kenny Rampton, member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, plays in Sesame Street’s house band.

    In this special, Wynton Marsalis meets back up with the familiar the Children’s Television Workshop characters after visiting them on the show in 1991 and 1998.

    A Swingin’ Sesame Street Orchestra is funded by Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind the show. The performance is a part of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s educational and diverse programs that hope to ensure that younger generations appreciate jazz in the future.

    Jazz at Lincoln Center’s other educational programs, such as Swing University, WeBop, Essentially Ellington, and Middle School Jazz Academy are available online at jazz.org. They aim to show jazz as a metaphor for democracy and freedom.

    Paying tribute to Sesame Street’s New York roots, as of May 1, 2019, sunny days can be found every day at the intersection of West 63rd Street and Broadway. Honoring the show’s 50th anniversary, New York City gave Sesame Street its own real intersection.

    Jazz great Wynton Marsalis has been a frequent guest on Sesame Street—and now, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the landmark series, he’s returning the favor. On A Swingin’ Sesame Street Celebration, Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra host the gang in the “House of Swing” for a big band salute to a very special show.

  • Video Premiere: Todd Alsup “Manhattan”

    Todd Alsup premieres his new music video “Manhattan” is an ode to his beloved city as it braves the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dedicated to the essential workers and everyday heroes of New York City, the video features its diverse population coming together as a community while remaining six feet apart. Essential workers such as firemen and first responders are given special focus, as well as the artists and musicians who continue to brighten up the city in dark and confusing times.

    Raised in Detroit, Alsup first became enamored with New York City on a high school trip. He fell further in love while attending New York University, where he earned a bachelor of music degree studying voice, theory, and songwriting. The singer, songwriter, and keyboardist says:

    “‘Manhattan’ is a love song I wrote for the city I’ve called home for over 20 years. New York was, of course, hit very hard at the onset of COVID-19 and is now a center of protest in the fight against systemic racism and police brutality.  I’ve seen my city rise up in the face of daunting challenges many times before and I’ve chosen to create a video that celebrates the spirit of strength and perseverance of New Yorkers.”

    Todd Alsup

    Todd Alsup criticizes many aspects of the city throughout the track, such as its noise, cold temperature, and “lunatics everywhere,” but ultimately couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.  “One million reasons to leave and a million more to stay / Oh Manhattan, I wouldn’t have you any other way,” he concedes. In addition to “Manhattan,” Alsup has also released a lyric video for his cover of The Spinners’ 1973 hit “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love,” adding a retro hip hop flair to the Motown classic.