MIDTOWN, NY — Broadway’s unionized musicians voted to authorize a strike Sunday night, which could bring the curtain down on New York City’s theater scene if negotiations don’t move forward this week.

Roughly 98 percent of about 1,000 members of Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians backed the strike authorization during a Sunday night vote, the union confirmed on its Instagram page Monday.

Musicians have been performing without a contract since Aug. 31 and are calling for better pay, stronger health benefits, and job security measures to prevent layoffs, the union’s post said.

Union leaders said they hope the vote will push the Broadway League — which represents theater producers — to reach a fair agreement.

Both sides are expected to return to the bargaining table later this week, and the strike could still be avoided if progress is made, the union representatives said.

“On the heels of the most successful season in history, the Broadway League wants the working musicians and artists who fueled that very success to accept wage cuts, threats to healthcare benefits, and potential job losses,” Local 802 President Bob Suttmann said in a statement.

“Faced with such an egregious erosion of their working conditions, Local 802 Broadway musicians and other artists are ready to leverage every ounce of their collective power, up to and including a strike. Committing to anything less would mean sacrificing far too many hard-won gains.”

The showdown comes at a high point for Broadway, which pulled in a record $1.89 billion in grosses and 14.7 million attendees during the 2024-2025 season, according to the Broadway League.

It also follows similar tensions between the League and the Actors’ Equity Association, whose contract expired last month, according to reports.

If both unions strike, it could shut down many of the Broadway theaters just as the busy holiday season begins.

A Broadway League spokesperson told Patch that the organization was working to get a new contract done with the union.

“Good-faith negotiations happen at the bargaining table, not in the press. We value our musicians and we are committed to working in good faith to get a fair contract done,” the spokesperson said.

This is a developing story and will be updated. For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.