Broadway Back in Business

The Broadway strike is over: after 19 days, the striking stagehands will return to work tomorrow night and all the lights will soon be back on on the Great White Way. Local One, the stagehand union, and the League of American Theatres and Producers reached a tentative agreement late last night that will see all the shows that were shut down going on starting with Thursday night's performances.

Such shows as A Bronx Tale, A Chorus Line, Avenue Q, Chicago, The Color Purple, Grease, Hairspray, Legally Blonde - The Musical, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, The Phantom of the Opera, Rent, Monty Python's Spamalot and Wicked were all affected by the strike, while Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas was able to reopen last week due to a Supreme Court injunction. To celebrate its reopening, Chicago (currently starring The Sopranos stars Aida Turturro and Vincent Pastore) will be offering special ticket prices for their first pre-strike show.

Disney's The Little Mermaid, which was in the middle of previews when the strike started and subsequently postponed its planned December 6 opening, should be announcing its new schedule shortly.

UPDATE: And here it is: The Little Mermaid has resumed previews, and will have its official opening January 10.

Links via Playbill.com.