A labor union representing musicians is difficult David Byrne’s subsequent Broadway present, “Here Lies Love,” saying it opposes plans to stage the manufacturing with recorded instrumental tracks as a substitute of a reside band.

The musical — an immersive, dance-driven spectacle about Imelda Marcos, the previous first woman of the Philippines — is scheduled to begin previews June 17 and to open July 20 on the Broadway Theater. Byrne co-wrote the music with Fatboy Slim.

The musical has beforehand been staged Off Broadway, in London and in Seattle, every time with a singing forged accompanied by recorded music. There are a number of moments through which actors have devices as a part of the motion being depicted, however there aren’t any full-time instrumentalists.

“Since ‘Here Lies Love’ was first conceived 17 years ago, every production has been performed to prerecorded track; this is part of the karaoke genre inherent to the musical and the production concept,” the manufacturing’s spokesman, Adrian Bryan-Brown, mentioned in a press release on Tuesday. “The music for ‘Here Lies Love’ was inspired by the phenomena of ‘track acts,’ which allowed club audiences to keep dancing, much like this production aims to do.”

But Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians says its contract with the Broadway League requires using 19 musicians for musicals on the Broadway Theater. (The variety of musicians required beneath the contract varies based mostly on theater measurement.)

The union says it’s looking for to protect jobs for musicians and high quality for theater lovers.

“We’re not going to stand by and let this happen,” mentioned Tino Gagliardi, the native’s president and government director. “It’s not fair to the public.”

Since February, the manufacturing staff of “Here Lies Love,” led by Hal Luftig, has been looking for to have the present declared a “special situation,” which is a class within the labor settlement that permits for the employment of fewer musicians. The request is to be assessed by a panel that features impartial observers in addition to representatives of the Broadway League and the musicians’ union; it’s not clear how lengthy that course of will take, and the ruling could be appealed to arbitration.

The League didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Tuesday, however Bryan-Brown mentioned, “This process is ongoing and may ultimately culminate in a final and binding arbitration decision, but until that time, we will continue to work in good faith with the union to move through the steps of the contractual process.”

There have been a number of Broadway exhibits staged with diminished orchestra sizes through the years, however it’s uncommon to have a musical with out an orchestra in any respect. The best-known instance was “Contact,” a dance present produced by the nonprofit Lincoln Center Theater that gained the 2000 Tony Award for finest musical. In 2011, the union objected to a reduced-size orchestra, together with recorded music, for the Broadway manufacturing of “Priscilla Queen of the Desert.” More lately, “The Little Prince” was staged on the Broadway Theater with music sung to recorded tracks; that present was not Tony-eligible and had a brief run, so the union didn’t object.

The musicians say they’re disillusioned that the request is coming from a present related to Byrne, whom they revere. Byrne’s final Broadway manufacturing, “American Utopia,” showcased musicians, with the band onstage taking part in devices and dancing with the star.

“I was really excited that David Byrne was bringing something else to Broadway,” mentioned Ray Cetta, a bass participant and union member who has often performed within the band for “Chicago.” “The current situation is very surprising and disheartening. Any musician would want to work with David Byrne and bring his music to life.”