Union musicians plan protest of Center production

Young Chang

COSTA MESA -- A musicians union furious about the use of nonunionized

players in an upcoming Orange County Performing Arts Center show will

protest outside the theater Tuesday before curtains rise on opening

night.

The Orange County Musicians’ Assn., a local chapter of the musicians

rights-advocating American Federation of Musicians, is taking issue with

a production of “The Music Man,” which will open next week with nonunion

orchestra members.

Below-par treatment of these musicians deteriorates the music

business, union officials say.

Union President Frank Amoss said unionized musicians in the area

should be hired to play with touring shows when they get to town.

“We think the people in Orange County ought to know that all the other

shows get accompanied by professional musicians, and here this producer

is saving money, 50%, by not paying for professional players,” Amoss

added.

“The Music Man” is produced by Big League Theatricals, a non-Equity

branch of Dodger Theatricals, a producer of Broadway shows. The cast is

also made up of non-Equity actors.

A West Coast representative for Actors Equity said the group will not

protest with the musicians union.

Dan Sher, executive producer of Big League, said workers should have a

choice about being in a union.

“Our musicians happen to not be,” Sher said.. “Sixteen of them travel

around the country and play beautifully.”

But the Center didn’t book “The Music Man” as a nonunion show almost

two years ago.

When the Center decided to bring the Meredith Willson musical to

Orange County, the acclaimed Dodger company was producing the work.

“Then, as the show got ready to go on the road, they announced it was

going to be a nonunion show and Big League took it over,” Mandel said.

Sher confirmed that his company acquired rights to the production

after Dodger decided not to go ahead with the show and offered it to the

theatrical community.

But the Center, assured by “resident Broadway genius” Susan Stroman’s

directorial mark on the show and nationwide positive reviews, kept the

musical in its season while lowering ticket prices, Mandel said.

“Because we knew it would cost us less, and we pass that onto our

ticket buyers,” he added.

The Center’s shows are almost always unionized, Equity shows.

“I don’t like to do non-Equity shows,” Mandel said. “I am very

strongly supportive of Equity and the musicians union, and I don’t like

to do this, and we will do everything possible to avoid it, but sometimes

the circumstance is such that we can’t.”

Amoss said the union’s goal in protesting is to let the public know

they are resistant to nonunion productions coming to Orange County.

“We don’t expect people to give their money back,” he said. “I don’t

think there’s anything we can do to impact the show.”

Sher said protesting in front of the Center is unfair to theatergoers

expecting an entertaining evening.

Mandel is compassionate toward the musicians’ cause.

“They have a right to do that, and I appreciate their position,” he

said. “I am very much a supporter of musicians, and I’ll probably go out

and talk to them and bring them coffee and doughnuts.”

* Young Chang writes features. She may be reached at (949) 574-4268 or

by e-mail at o7 young.chang@latimes.comf7 .