In Tuesday’s (11/16) Boston Herald, Jerry Kronenberg writes, “A Radio City Rockettes plan to use canned tunes at their upcoming Wang Theatre ‘Christmas Spectacular’ instead of the live orchestra New Yorkers get to hear is striking a sour note among Hub musicians, who are urging local fans to give the Gotham-based dance troupe the boot. ‘This is Boston, the city that prides itself on being the Athens of America,’ Gail Eaton, spokeswoman for the American Federation of Musicians Local 9-535, told the Herald. ‘To do a show here that’s compromised by having a recorded orchestra instead of one that’s in the orchestra pit is beneath Boston arts-goers.’ The union is running radio spots and leafleting local arts venues calling on theatergoers to skip the Rockettes’ Dec. 3-29 ‘Christmas Spectacular’ in Boston. … The Rockettes insist they’ve always used taped music for their traveling Christmas show, which has toured 62 cities since 1994—including Boston in 2004 and 2006. … But Eaton said the Rockettes’ decision to use taped tunes hurts local professional musicians, who rely on the busy holiday season for a big part of their yearly earnings.”
Posted November 17, 2010
