Actors' Equity vs. AGMA - Equity Responds

As BroadwayWorld reported earlier, the recent union dispute surrounding Broadway's COME FLY AWAY has caused American Guild of Musical Artists to try to play a bigger role in the Broadway community.  Alan Gordon, AGMA exec director, expressed interest in representing dancers not ony in dance-heavy shows like Come Fly Away, but other productions as well.  Gordon stated, "We think that down the road it's better for dancers appearing in anything, including Broadway shows, to be represented by AGMA."

Last week, BroadwayWorld reported on the conflict that has arisen over the jurisdiction for the performers of Twyla Tharp's COME FLY AWAY. The show, which blurs the lines between dance and musical theatre, transferred from AGMA to Actors' Equity representaion when the show moved to Broadway.  AGMA then placed a complaint with the Associated Actors and Artistes of America, which handles disputes between entertainment unions.

Last weekend, the Actors' Equity Association responded by ceding the show to AGMA.  According to AGMA, the union change will have no effect on performances.  In response to today's comments by AGMA, Actor's Equity has issued the following statement:

"Recent assertions in the press regarding Actors' Equity Association made by AGMA Executive Director Alan Gordon are inaccurate and a misleading representation of the facts. His claim that AGMA is better equipped to represent dancers on Broadway is nothing more than empty rhetoric designed to make a good sound bite. Equity has represented dancers on Broadway for 55 years since its merger with Chorus Equity. Equity has always, and will always, diligently serve all its members with knowledge, experience, and professionalism and with the full backing of Equity's resources.

To further set the record straight, after the Four A's ruling regarding COME FLY AWAY, Equity offered to meet with AGMA to work out a way for the show to remain on Equity's Production Contract. AGMA refused to do so, resulting in the Four A's determination that Equity must turn over the administration of the show and allow AGMA to put into place its own contract. For that to occur, Equity had to disclaim interest so the performers would not be under Equity's contract, thus providing AGMA the ability to sign a contract with the producers. At this time, and despite Mr. Gordon's claim, the performers are not working under Equity's Production Contract. It is Equity's understanding that AGMA intends to offer the producers essentially the same terms and conditions found in Equity's Production Contract. However, it will be an AGMA contract specific to COME FLY AWAY and not the Equity Production Contract as asserted by Mr. Gordon in media reports."

COME FLY AWAY follows four couples as they fall in and out of love during one song and dance filled evening at a crowded nightclub. Blending the legendary vocals of Frank Sinatra with a live on stage 19-piece big band and 15 of the world's finest dancers, COME FLY AWAY weaves an unparalleled hit parade of classics, including "Fly Me To The Moon," "My Way," and "That's Life" into a soaring musical fantasy of romance and seduction.

The show's score combines classic and newly discovered vocal performances from the Sinatra archives along with signature arrangements (Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Quincy Jones) as well as brand new charts for this fresh innovative musical.

COME FLY AWAY is the next and most elaborate chapter in one of the most fruitful collaborations in contemporary dance. Twyla Tharp's creative relationship with the music of Frank Sinatra began in 1976 with the premiere of Once More Frank, a duet created for the American Ballet Theatre, performed by Ms. Tharp and Mikhail Baryshnikov. The collaboration continued with Nine Sinatra Songs, Ms. Tharp's acclaimed piece for fourteen dancers which had its world premiere with Twyla Tharp Dance in 1982, and was followed by Sinatra Suite, a duet featuring Mr. Baryshnikov and Elaine Kudo, which had its world premiere in 1984 with American Ballet Theatre at the Kennedy Center. Citing it as one of the purest expressions of his body of work, Mr. Sinatra requested that Sinatra Suite be performed when he received his Kennedy Center Honors Award.

Tickets, ranging in price from $66.50 - $126.50, can be purchased via www.TicketMaster.com or by calling 212-307-4100.