Broadway had a good week last month with grosses rising 27 percent thanks to some star power. Hamilton led with a weekly take of $3 million, followed by Harry Potter and the Cursed Child with $2.22 million and The Lion King with $2.21 million. Other Desert Cities, featuring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Allison Janney, and Ed Harris, played to 100 percent capacity and brought in $2.1 million. A few Good Men and Billy Crystal’s 860 also played to capacity.
Miami Music Project has received a grant from the Sony Music Group Social Justice Fund. The grant will cover programming and initiatives to support vulnerable children and youth.
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Paramount has agreed to settle antitrust lawsuits filed by 12 states as it concludes its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. Paramount will agree to a five-year movie production plan and will invest $1.5 billion in domestic production. Only about five percent of Paramount’s production is currently done in the U.S.
As the merger of Paramount and Warner concludes, Skydance is planning $6 billion in cost-saving cuts. Some savings will come from real estate and marketing consolidation and technology, but there will also be labor cuts to the workforce.
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The Philadelphia Orchestra has exceeded its $330 million fundraising campaign and brought in $344 million. The funds will support operations and nearly double the endowment. The funding also allowed special projects to take place, including a production of Tristan and Isolde in 2025 and Pride concerts hosted by drag queens.
The Phoenix Symphony has suspended operations as of November 1. They cite operational deficits as the reason for suspending the season, despite a 50 percent increase in revenue and significant cuts to administrative expenses.
The Minnesota Opera Orchestra musicians have voted to authorize a strike. They gave wage concessions following the pandemic and with the current offer from the Opera they would be looking forward to eight years without a cost of living increase.
Musicians of the National Symphony have ratified a four-year agreement. Wages will rise nine percent over the first three years, with wage increases in the fourth year subject to a later negotiation. Musicians will also be compensated for additional travel due to the closing of the Kennedy Center.
The Nashville Symphony received a $10 million donation from Oracle after it announced the suspension of the season due to a $10 million deficit. The 77 musicians who were expecting to be furloughed are now back at work. One person not returning to work, however, is CEO J. Mark Cantrell, who resigned after the suspension was announced after only being on the job for two months.
Cleveland Orchestra musicians conducted a three-day strike before reaching agreement on a new contract. Their issues included wages that keep up with inflation and the wages of their peer orchestras, and a voice in the audition process. Wages will rise five percent per year under their new three-year agreement, and musicians will also have input during auditions.