MAMMA MIA! Resumes Performance At North Shore Following IATSE Local 11 Strike

BroadwayWorld has learned that performances of MAMMA MIA! will resume tonight, October 7th, 2021, following last night's IATSE strike which caused the evening's performance to be cancelled.

In a statement, the theatre wrote on Facebook "North Shore Music Theatre has entered into an agreement with their stagehands who have agreed to return to work after making progress on wage increases. All productions of Mamma Mia! will go on as previously scheduled thru October 17."

In a statement made yesterday, the union said "[Bill] Hanney, of Easton, allegedly received $3.7 million in federal Small Business Administration Shuttered Venue Operation Grants for defined purposes that include payroll costs, worker protection expenditures, payments to independent contractors, and insurance payments and continues to insist on paying his talented staff peanuts. The theater's stage crew work for unfair, industry sub-standard wages and have no employer provided benefits."

In a statement to BroadwayWorld on the day of the strike, North Shore owner Bill Hanney said "As North Shore Music Theatre works to try to finalize a contract with the newly unionized I.A.T.S.E. Local 11 stage hands, I am confident that what we are offering the stage hands is in line with what other comparable theatres are offering their stage hands."

"What is currently being asked for in this negotiation is in line with the large metropolitan theatres in the area that have much higher ticket prices and a schedule filled with touring productions playing year-round. That is not who we are. Our business model is based on being a suburban regional theatre that self-produces its own shows that are on our stage for 13-15 weeks out of the year."

"It is unfortunate that it has come to this point, but I look forward to working to finalize our union contract and adding I.A.T.S.E. Local 11 to the other three unions that we currently have long-standing positive relationships with."

Since 1955, NSMT has become one of the most attended theatres in New England, with approximately 250,000 patrons annually. With a national and regional reputation for artistic achievement, NSMT has received numerous industry awards including Elliot Norton Awards, IRNE Awards, the Rosetta Le Noire Award from Actors' Equity, and the Moss Hart Award. NSMT produced the World Premiere of Memphis in 2003, the show went on to win four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical.

Photo by Paul Lyden.