Washington Ballet Leads Scrooge-Of-The-Year Nominations

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

The Washington Ballet, which has axed live music at performances of Romeo and Juliet and The Nutcracker, is leading the contest to be named Scrooge of the Year. "The behavior of Ebeneezer Scrooge in Dickens' story very much parallels the behavior of The Washington Ballet management and board," said one nomination. "Two holiday seasons ago, they got into a ridiculous spat with their dancers that closed the most celebrated holiday event in the city. The musicians and other workers were also put out in the cold. What are we telling our children by allowing canned music? People are cheap and easily replaced?" Click here to make your own nomination; deadline is next Monday, November 15. - photo: local musicians put their unique spin on demonstrating when a brass sextet performed on an October 29 picketline set up outside the Washington Ballet’s Wisconsin Avenue headquarters by AFM Local 161-710; photo by Chris Garlock