Lights back on Broadway

Visitors to the Big Apple are expected to soon enjoy Broadway shows again

NEW YORK (CNN) -- The lights of Broadway will shine brightly again after stagehands and producers reached a tentative agreement Wednesday evening, ending a 19-day strike.

"The contract is a good compromise that serves our industry," said League of American Theaters and Producers Executive Director Charlotte St. Martin. "We look forward to celebrating the season and welcoming our talented stagehands, and the theater-going public, back to Broadway."

Shuttered Broadway performances were scheduled to resume Thursday night. The settlement followed marathon talks on Sunday, Monday, and again on Wednesday.

"The people of Broadway are looking forward to returning to work, giving the theatre-going public the joy of Broadway, the greatest entertainment in the world," said International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local One President James J. Claffey, Jr.

The stagehands walked off the job on Nov. 10, two days after talks ended, shuttering 26 of the 35 shows on Broadway. Talks resumed a few days later, but fell apart again on Nov. 18 before resuming once more Sunday.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg cheered the news of a settlement.

"Tonight's announcement of a tentative agreement between the Broadway stagehands and theater producers is great news not just for everyone who earns their living on or around Broadway, but for everyone who lives in, works in, or visits New York City," Bloomberg said.

The union represents 3,000 property persons, stage and studio electricians, set carpenters, sound designers, audio technicians, moving-light operators, riggers and special effects people in New York.

The contract dispute centered around how many stagehands are required to open a Broadway show and keep it running. Currently, four stagehands are required for both a play and a musical. The producers want to be allowed to hire fewer if four are not necessary.