Show goes on for Grinch musical

The musical is very popular with children

The show will go on for Broadway musical Dr Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! after a New York judge ordered it to re-open.

Jujamcyn Theatres decided to shut The Grinch at its St James' theatre until a new labour agreement was reached with striking Broadway stagehands.

But this was despite the fact that stagehands employed on The Grinch had agreed to continue working.

State Supreme Court Justice Helen Freedman said the show should resume.

She granted an injunction sought by the show's producers against the shutdown, saying her decision was "for the sake of this city".

'Busy period'

"I think that one Grinch in this city is enough," she added.

"We got our miracle on 44th Street," said producer James Sanna.

Broadway is considered one of New York's main tourist attractions

Mr Sanna is not a member of The League of American Theatres and Producers, which the stagehands' union Local One are in dispute with.

A union spokesman said the stagehands wanted The Grinch to continue so Mr Sanna could avoid financial ruin.

Jujamcyn Theatres owns four other theatres which have been affected by the strike.

The judge's decision means that 11 Grinch shows over the Thanksgiving weekend - one of Broadway's busiest periods - are going ahead.

The show will then continue until the end of its run on 6 January.

Stagehands work with lighting, sound, scenery and special effects.

The strike began earlier this month after three months of negotiations between producers and a union about pay and working conditions failed to produce an agreement.

The dispute has largely been over work rules that govern how many stagehands must be called for work, how long they work, and what kind of tasks they can perform.

The League of American Theatres and Producers wants more flexibility in those rules so as to avoid paying for workers who have nothing to do.