Broadway stagehands begin strike

New York, Nov 11 (DPA) The lights were out in Broadway theatres after the stagehands' union authorized a strike that hit the world-famous theatre district just as it enters the busy holiday period.

The 11 a.m. matinee of the musical "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was the first show hit by the strike Saturday, as stagehands at 26 shows walked off the job. Only eight of Broadway's major theatres would remain open because they operate under different contracts, as independently run or non-profit theatres, Bloomberg financial news reported.

The strike is the second in less than five years to shut down Broadway after a four-day musicians' strike in 2003.

The main point of contention between the sides involves work rules that govern the number of stagehands needed for each show. The previous agreement between the union and theatre owners expired at the end of July. The talks reached an impasse last month.

The move hits another US entertainment venue, one week after Hollywood screenwriters took to the picket lines in an effort to secure more money from the sale of their movies and shows on DVDs and on the internet.