Sugar Hill: The Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker was supposed to be a groundbreaking commercial ballet, celebrating jazz and the legacy of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. It featured 35 dancers and stage managers and was covered by a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiated by AGMA. Despite months of negotiations, arbitration, and now litigation, the artists (and AGMA) are still waiting to be paid for work they completed over a year ago.
Today, Brenda Braxton shares her experience in her own words.
I’ve been in this business a long time. I’ve seen my share of ups and downs, but nothing quite like this. When I joined Sugar Hill: The Ellington/Strayhorn Nutcracker, I was eager to bring this production to life. The chance to perform such a rich, historic work in New York City was meaningful, and I was proud to be part of it. But what began as a promising opportunity quickly unraveled into something else entirely.
I knew something was wrong when our two major performances—especially City Center—were abruptly canceled. No real explanations, no honest conversations. Just silence and uncertainty. Then, the paychecks stopped coming. That’s when it became clear: this production wasn’t being handled in good faith.
Many people don’t realize that performers often go stretches without a steady income. That’s just how it is. Every paycheck is accounted for before it even arrives and is put toward rent, bills, and food. That income is already factored into our lives when a contract is signed. When those wages don’t come through, it’s not just disappointing…it’s damaging.
Contracts are not suggestions. They are commitments.
Yet here we are, still waiting. We kept our end of the deal. We put in the work. We delivered. And now, the producers are choosing to fight us in court rather than pay us what they owe. How does that add up? If they made partial payments, they clearly acknowledged an obligation. Why stop short? Why leave so many artists in financial limbo?
The truth is, we were never given the full picture. We weren’t told the real reasons for the cancellations. We weren’t warned about the financial issues. We were expected to push forward, unaware of just how unstable the production’s foundation had become.
I believed in this production, fought for it, and even encouraged my colleagues to finish out our performances in Chicago, trusting that the producers would make things right. I won’t make that mistake again.
Moving forward, accountability is essential. These two producers should not be allowed to mount another production until every Sugar Hill artist, designer, and crew member is paid in full. And for my fellow artists, research who you are considering working for. Passion should never be used as an excuse to deny us fair treatment.
This business is built on talent and trust. It’s time we stop allowing the latter to be broken.
-Brenda Braxton