Broadway musicians threaten strike if no deal by Thursday

Broadway musicians vote to authorize strike

Contract negotiations between the talent on Broadway stages and The Broadway League have stalled, and now, the actors and musicians are both threatening to turn the lights off. FOX 5 NY's Briella Tomassetti has the latest details.

NEW YORK - Broadway musicians are threatening to strike as early as Thursday morning if contract negotiations fail to produce a deal this week, potentially halting some of the biggest shows on Broadway.

What we know:

In a statement released Tuesday, the American Federation of Musicians Local 802 said its members will "strike immediately" if a new contract isn’t reached by Thursday, following a mediation session scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 22.

Demonstrators during a rally in support of the casino in front of billboards displaying a message in opposition to it in Times Square in New York, US, on Thursday, June 26, 2025. The Caesars Palace Times Square partners hosted a rally as developer SL

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"The Broadway musicians represented by Local 802 AFM are going into mediation on Wednesday, Oct. 22," said Local 802 President Bob Suttmann. "If we do not have a new contract by Thursday morning, we are prepared to strike immediately. We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement."

Musicians have been performing without a contract since Aug. 31, as talks with the Broadway League have stalled. 

Local perspective:

If a strike goes into effect, it would shut down more than 20 major productions, including crowd favorites like "Hamilton," "Wicked," "The Lion King," "Moulin Rouge" and "MJ the Musical."

Kaiser workers begin the first of a three-day strike outside of Kaiser Permanente's Broadway Campus in Oakland, California Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. (Photo by Jessica Christian/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)

Broadway shows that could be affected

A potential strike would affect the following Broadway shows:

• "& Juliet" (Sondheim)
• "Aladdin" (New Amsterdam)
• "Beetlejuice" (Palace)
• "The Book of Mormon" (O’Neill)
• "Buena Vista" (Schoenfeld)
• "Chess" (Imperial)
• "Chicago" (Ambassador)
• "Death Becomes Her" (Lunt-Fontanne)
• "The Great Gatsby" (Broadway)
• "Hadestown" (Walter Kerr)
• "Hamilton" (Richard Rodgers)
• "Hell’s Kitchen" (Shubert)
• "Just in Time" (Circle in the Square)
• "The Lion King" (Minskoff)
• "Mamma Mia" (Winter Garden)
• "Maybe Happy Ending" (Belasco)
• "Mincemeat" (Golden)
• "MJ" (Neil Simon)
• "Moulin Rouge" (Al Hirschfeld)
• "The Outsiders" (Jacobs)
• "The Queen of Versailles" (St. James)
• "Six" (Brooks Atkinson)
• "Wicked" (Gershwin)

When was the last strike?

The backstory:

According to Playbill, Broadway musicians last went on strike in 2003, a five-day work stoppage that brought nearly all shows to a halt. The most recent Broadway strike overall was led by stagehands in 2007, keeping most theaters dark for 19 days. 

Actors’ Equity last walked out in 1968, a three-day strike that ended after New York City Mayor John Lindsay intervened.

Negotiations this year have centered on issues including pay increases, health benefits, and job protections amid the growing use of digital technology in live performance.

Mediation is set to begin Wednesday morning.