The Grinch Story...

...is getting hilarious.

At least in Riedel's telling today.

Turns out, the producers who tried to get their own dispensation from the union to reopen the show? Totally had no authority to do so. Not without the ok of the Jujamcyn company who owns the theatre, and is still very much a party to the strike.

A source close to Jujamcyn said the company, whose other theaters have been shut down by the strike, would not allow the union to use “The Grinch" to score a victory.

Thing is, the union already wins that one. Now both they and the Grinch people can point the finger at Jujamcyn and the League for shutting the kids out of Whoville.

I don't doubt the union already knew all this, though, when "agreeing" to take down the Grinch picket line. Surely they know who they're up against.

And I guess it shouldn't be surprising that the League is really circling the wagons here, and sees the Grinch team as basically interlopers--dropping into town during the peak season with their 12 shows a week, stealing away "family entertainment" business from all the other shows. Don't be surprised to see Grinch show up next year at Madison Square Garden, or Jersey, or some other "nonconventional venue."

Meanwhile, further negotiations have been set for Sunday.