Actors’ Equity says it will place Broadway producer Garth Drabinsky on its “Do Not Work” list just as soon as his financially troubled musical Paradise Square ends its run with a matinee on Sunday at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre.
Once he’s on the list, Equity members won’t be allowed to work on Drabinsky’s stage productions until he’s made things right with the union. He already is being sued by Equity and United Scenic Artists Local 829 for unpaid wages and benefit contributions. Equity is seeking $174,000 and United Scenic Artists is seeking $156,965.
“The company of Paradise Square has expressed their commitment to this show and want to continue to tell this story through its planned closing on July 17,” Equity said in a statement. “However, Garth Drabinsky has made it clear that he is unable to uphold the terms of a union contract, so Equity intends to add him to our Do Not Work list immediately afterwards.”
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The musical, which marked Drabinsky’s Broadway return, won a Tony for lead actress Joaquina Kalukango but failed to catch on at the box office. For the week ending July 10, it only played to half-capacity.
“We wanted to give Paradise Square every chance to succeed,” Drabinsky said earlier this week, “but various challenges proved insurmountable. We endured two Covid shutdowns, including 13 days right after our opening night, which resulted in a crucial loss of marketing momentum. The show, produced after the start of the pandemic, was not eligible for SVOG funds and was without the benefit of indemnity as insurers would no longer cover new productions for losses due to Covid. Even with significant award recognition and the sensational performance delivered by Joaquina Kalukango and our cast on the Tony Awards broadcast, we only saw a modest bump at the box office.”