How producers turned a promising ballet into a cautionary tale of broken promises, unpaid artists, and outright disregard for union agreements. Buckle up.
The Context
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.
The production was scheduled to premiere in Pittsburgh in November 2023, followed by runs in New York City and Chicago. Spoiler alert: Only one of those runs even happened.
The Red Flags Start Flying
The trouble started even before the first curtain call:
- October 2023: The Pittsburgh premiere was abruptly canceled, and the production was redirected to New York City Center.
- November 2023: Just one week before opening, the producers failed to pay the venue, forcing City Center to cancel the run entirely.
- November 2023: The management company, DRTM, QUIT (!!), leaving producers David Garfinkle and Rob Quadrino to take over company management themselves. Big yikes.
The Chicago Show Must Go On (Kind of)
In December 2023, the production finally opened in Chicago. It received strong reviews and enthusiastic audiences, but behind the scenes:
- Artists were not paid for their final two scheduled paydays.
- By the end of the run on December 30, 2023, dancers and stage managers had gone two weeks without their wages.
Violations EVERYWHERE
The unpaid wages are just the start. Additionally, the producers’ violations of the CBA include:
- Deducting union dues from paychecks but failing to remit them to AGMA. So, what did they do with that money?
- Failing to make contributions to the Artists’ retirement accounts.
- Repeatedly delaying and finally failing to make contributions to the AGMA Health Fund, resulting in a lack of health coverage.
The Legal Circus
AGMA, so far, has:
- Negotiated a payout agreement totaling nearly $500,000 with the Producers, which the Producers failed to honor.
- Brought the case to arbitration to secure the nearly $500,000 payments due to the artists, which the Producers never honored (more on that below).
The Producers Default Again
Did the producers follow through on the legally enforced payment schedule? Nope.
Instead, they defaulted on the agreement, forcing AGMA to take legal action in Illinois state court. In December 2024, the Producers responded to AGMA’s lawsuit denying liability for the payments owed.
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.
Why You Should Care About This
This is about more than one production. It’s about alerting artists of the shady practices of these producers. It’s about ensuring that artists are paid for their work and preventing this unacceptable conduct from happening again. When an employer fails to honor contracts and refuses to pay artists, they undermine the trust and professionalism that the arts community relies on.
Together, We Protect One Another. Together, We Prevail
AGMA and the artists continue the fight, both in the courts and now through public advocacy. The demand is clear–Sugar Hill Producers: Pay us what you owe, or get out of the Arts!
This is a fight for everyone in the arts community. For now, here’s what you can do to support:
- Stay informed by following AGMA on social media, this is not the last time you’ll hear from us about this.
- Share this link with your networks to raise awareness and warn others about getting into business with these producers.
- Have you had your own unfortunate experience with either of these producers? Tell us about it: Communications@musicalartists.org.
Stay Tuned
AGMA stands firm in its commitment to protecting artists and upholding union agreements.
David Garfinkle and Rob Quadrino have failed to meet their obligations time and time again. It’s time to hold them publicly accountable.
Artists deserve better. The Arts deserve better.