‘The Grinch’ can resume trying to steal Christmas

The theatergoing public got some good news Wednesday, when a New York Supreme Court judge ruled that “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” could reopen immediately -- even though a strike by Broadway stagehands has temporarily shuttered 26 other productions.

Producers of the show had argued that Jujamcyn Theaters, which owns the house where “The Grinch” is staged, was wrong to lock out striking stagehands and performers. They noted that the $6-million musical, which has a limited run through the Christmas season, had signed a separate agreement with the members of Local 1, the stagehands union, before the strike began on Nov. 10.

“The Grinch” was the first Broadway show to be shut down by the strike, but stagehands subsequently said that they would go back to work on the show because of its separate contract. Theater owners, however, said they would refuse to let the production reopen until all striking stagehands return to work. Both sides argued their positions Tuesday in court, as the strike that has shut down most of Broadway dragged through its second week.

“I think one Grinch in town is enough,” said Judge Helen Freedman, ruling against the lockout imposed at the St. James Theatre. Attorneys for the Jujamcyn Theaters group, Broadway’s third-largest theater chain, have said they will appeal the ruling; they argued that there was no guarantee stagehands wouldn’t walk out again if the show were to reopen.

On Tuesday night, hours after the court hearing, members of “The Grinch” cast made an impromptu appearance outside the theater, voicing support for producers’ efforts to reopen the show. Some of the younger actors in the cast, clearly impatient to get back on stage, were among the loudest voices.

“It’s really a Christmas show, so everyone should really see it at Christmas time,” actress Juliette Allen Angelo told reporters. “And it’s really close to Christmas, so I just want the stage doors to open so children can come and see the show.”

Producers have also been banking on a financial windfall from the show, which grossed an estimated $15 million on Broadway last year during an 11-week Christmas season run. “This isn’t a show that can schedule replacement performances in February,” producer James Sanna said when the strike began. “We need to get the show back open as soon as possible.”

Meanwhile, there were conflicting reports on whether talks between Local 1 and the League of American Theaters and Producers would resume on Sunday. The talks broke down last weekend, amid charges of bad faith from both sides, and producers announced that all of the affected shows would remain closed through this weekend.

Although some observers believe a new round of bargaining is imminent, others said the two sides remained far apart. On Wednesday, the Nederlander Producing Co. declined to comment on news reports that it had filed a $35-million lawsuit against Local 1, in which the company argued that the strike was an illegal secondary boycott designed to pressure the league into settling.

The Nederlander group, which owns nine of the 27 theaters shuttered by the strike, has been operating under a contract that is separate from other league members, including an agreement to honor whatever terms are reached between the league and Local 1. But that agreement, union advocates have noted, does not prevent either side from calling a strike.

josh.getlin@latimes.com