Manhattan Arts, Culture, Fashion, Music & Theater in Manhattan NYC
April 7, 2026 / Manhattan Arts & Culture NYC / Manhattan Neighborhoods / Manhattan Buzz NYC.
This section provides 2025 & 2026 news briefs for Manhattan Arts, Culture, Fashion, Music and Theater in Manhattan Buzz NYC.
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Manhattan News Briefs 2026
Arts, Culture, Fashion, Music & Theater
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Broadway Strike Update
October 21, 2025 / Manhattan Events & Things To Do This Weekend NYC, Manhattan News NYC, Manhattan Real Estate & Business News NYC / Manhattan Buzz NYC.
On Saturday, October 18, 2025 the Actors Equity Association and the Broadway League [represents Producers / Owners] reached a tentative agreement on new contract terms for the next three years. This precludes their 51,000 member union of actors, singers, dancers and stage managers from striking - assuming the agreement holds.
The American Federation of Musicians [AFM] Local 802 and the Broadway League have not yet reached an agreement. They are set to go on strike as early as Thursday, October 23, 2025 should a deal not be reached. The AFM Local represents 1,200 members, so their impact on Broadway will have less severe consequences vis-a-vis striking in tandem with Actors Equity, which would have essentially shut down Broadway [roughly three dozen shows]. But that said, AFM Local 802 would shut down two dozen shows, including most of the headliners of the season, so not reaching a deal with AFM 802 could have significantly negative consequences. AFM Local 802 is striking for healthcare changes, scheduling and physical therapy access.
Off Broadway shows would not be affected.
Broadway Strike Could Happen as Early as Thursday, but Negotiations Still Continue
https://apnews.com/article/broadway-labor-2025-equity-deal-6a92b3f2807981a6bd2fba90d1e49362
Queens News - Weekly Updates
October 13, 2025 / Billionaire Press NYC Billionaire TV News / Queens Politics / Queens News NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Queens Buzz NYC.
*** What Follows was posted Week Beginning 10.13.25
Broadway Musicians Announce Strike Authorization
This Follows on the Heels of Actors Equity doing the Same
October 13, 2025 / Manhattan Events & Things To Do This Weekend NYC, Manhattan News NYC, Manhattan Real Estate & Business News NYC / Manhattan Buzz NYC.
The American Federation Musicians Local 802 [AFM Local 802] announced that their 1,000 plus membership has authorized a strike against the Broadway League which represents the producers and landlords of Broadway shows. Their contract expired August 31, 2025. Actors Equity, which represents 51,000 actors and stage managers in the entire U.S. [NYC is in the Eastern region], authorized a strike on October 1, 2025 [see short report below] following the expiration of their contract on September 28, 2025. Both unions are asking for pay increases and improved health benefits.
The Broadway League broke box office records last year [2024 - 2025 season] taking in $1.89 billion. The Broadway League represents 41 active theaters in NYC. A few shows would continue to go on, if there were a strike, as a couple of plays are being performed by touring companies, and a couple other plays do not have contracts with the Actors Equity or AFM Local 802. Also, Off Broadway Shows in NYC would continue as they also do not have contracts with the unions. But that said, at least 27 or more of NYC's biggest and most famous theaters, would temporarily close, pending the completion of negotiations.
In spite of box office revenue records, some Broadway Shows lost money, as production costs are also high. The following url will take you to a well done report on the situation.
Manhattan NYC News - Broadway Unions Authorize Strike if Negotiations Fail
https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/could-broadway-really-go-on-strike_1698161/
Actors Equity Vote to Authorize Broadway Strike
Their Contract Expired 9/28/25, but Whether They Strike, is Pending Talks Next Week
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 / Manhattan Events & Things To Do This Weekend NYC, Manhattan News NYC, Manhattan Real Estate & Business News NYC / Manhattan Buzz NYC.
Actors Equity voted to approve a strike on Broadway which could affect 32 theaters during peak season. Over 1,000 actors signed a letter in support of the strike which is about healthcare contributions, safe staffing levels and paid leave.
NYC Manhattan News - Actors Equity Authorizes Strike Should Negotiations Fail
https://deadline.com/2025/10/broadway-strike-actors-equity-1236567875/
Manhattan Neighborhoods News Briefs
August 2025 / Manhattan Neighborhoods & History / Manhattan Arts & Culture NYC / Manhattan News NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Manhattan Buzz NYC.
Friday, August 22 to Monday, September 1, 2025 beginning at either 7.30 or 8 pm - Metropolitan Opera HD Festival - at the mall / fountain at Lincoln Center located along Columbus Avenue between 64th and 66th Street on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. These are FREE summer outdoor concerts at Lincoln Center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan NYC. For details of the full schedule see - https://www.metopera.org/about/press-releases/the-metropolitan-operas-summer-hd-festival-returns-to-lincoln-center-plaza-with-11-free-screenings-august-22september-1/
The photo above or at right was taken in a prior year at the Lincoln Center HD Opera Festival. The festival is free, open to the public and is based on first come first serve seating. It's a nice way to spend some time.
Manhattan Neighborhoods News Briefs
April 2025 / Manhattan Neighborhoods & History / Manhattan Arts & Culture NYC / Manhattan News NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Manhattan Buzz NYC.
Wednesday - Sunday, April 30 - June 1, 2025 beginning at 8 pm most evenings [Saturday Matinee] - The United States vs Ulysses - at the Irish Arts Center at 726 11th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. They describe the play as follows, " ... It’s 1933, and James Joyce’s sexually explicit Ulysses has been banned in the U.S. for a decade. But now, a hungry young publisher and an ambitious lawyer have teamed up to take on the Puritans. Can they convince the judge that Ulysses is not obscene? And what will happen when Ulysses gets under their skin—and Molly Bloom gets into their heads? ...". For details and $25 - $76 tickets see - https://irishartscenter.org
In the photo at right, taken this weekend, you can see the cast performing the United States vs Ulysses at the Irish Arts Center in an Off Broadway production in Midtown Manhattan. The play is an historical drama, set in a court room in the early 1930's, which delves into the issues surrounding the limiting free speech.
Manhattan Neighborhoods News Briefs
April 2025 / Manhattan Neighborhoods & History / Manhattan Arts & Culture NYC / Manhattan News NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Manhattan Buzz NYC.
Wednesday - Sunday, April 30 - June 1, 2025 beginning at 8 pm most evenings [Saturday Matinee] - The United States vs Ulysses - at the Irish Arts Center at 726 11th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. They describe the play as follows, " ... It’s 1933, and James Joyce’s sexually explicit Ulysses has been banned in the U.S. for a decade. But now, a hungry young publisher and an ambitious lawyer have teamed up to take on the Puritans. Can they convince the judge that Ulysses is not obscene? And what will happen when Ulysses gets under their skin—and Molly Bloom gets into their heads? ...". For details and $25 - $76 tickets see - https://irishartscenter.org
In the photo at right, taken last weekend, you can see a performance of the United States vs Ulysses at the Irish Arts Center, in an Off Broadway production in Midtown Manhattan. The play takes an intellectually fascinating journey, into the arguments both pro and con, for allowing or limiting free speech, by way of radio show of a real American court room battle in the early 1930's.
Manhattan Neighborhoods News Briefs
February 2025 / Manhattan Neighborhoods & History / Manhattan Arts & Culture NYC / Manhattan News NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Manhattan Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather. Sunrise 7 am. Sunset 5.20 pm. We're getting an hour and five more minutes of sunlight than we were the weekend of the Winter solstice in late December. Spring Forward Daylight Savings Time is Sunday, March 9th, 2025 - only four weeks away.
Saturday evening we're expecting about 5 inches of snow between the hours of 6 pm and Sunday 8 am. The temperature highs will hit 40 on Friday before descending into the mid 30's the rest of the weekend. The temperature lows will remain between 25 and 30 degrees all weekend. The humidity will range from 30% - 40% Friday, rising from 30% to 70% on Saturday, before tapering off between 50% - 60% on Sunday. The winds will be 10 - 15 mph Friday, falling to 5 - 10 mph for the rest of the weekend.
The photo at right was taken at the Georges Berges Gallery at 462 West Broadway [at Houston] in SoHo a couple of weeks ago. There's a group show, entitled Tarot, at the gallery, which runs through February 28th, and it's well worth a visit. The images in the painting change when you move.
Manhattan Neighborhoods News Briefs
February 2025 / Manhattan Neighborhoods & History / Manhattan Arts & Culture NYC / Manhattan News NYC / News Analysis & Opinion / Manhattan Buzz NYC.
NYC Weather. Sunrise 7.07 am. Sunset 5.12 pm. We're getting 50 more minutes of sunlight than we were the weekend of the Winter solstice in late December. The temperature highs will be in the high 30's on Friday and Saturday, rising to the mid 40's on Sunday. The temperature lows will be in the mid 30's on Friday and Sunday, dipping in between to 20 on Saturday. The humidity will rise to 80% assuming that precipitation arrives Friday evening, then dipping to 40% - 50% on Saturday, before rising back to 50% to 70% on Sunday. There's a 75% chance of a small amount of precipitation [1/5 inch tops] Friday evening. After that it's dry for the rest of the weekend.
The photo at right was taken at the Georges Berges Gallery at 462 West Broadway [at Houston] in SoHo this past Thursday evening. There's a group show, entitled Tarot, at the gallery, which runs through February 28th, and it's well worth a visit.
