Members of the stagehands union walk the picket line in front of the Broadway show "Les Miserables," as they strike for better wages, in New York, Nov. 10, 2007. Most Broadway shows are shuttered starting with Saturday's matinee performance. - Xinhua/AFP

Broadway's stagehands and producers went back to the bargaining table yesterday in order to end a walkout by the stagehands union which shut down 27 plays and musicals in the past week, NY1 news channel reported.

The two sides met at an undisclosed location Saturday night without producing any deal.

With the clock ticking toward the lucrative Thanksgiving holiday, the stakes are particularly high.

NY 1 quoted sources as saying that talks were not going well because the two sides could not agree on the number of stagehands needed during the "load in," when a set is put in place in preparation for the show.

Under the current rules, a stagehand put in place for any aspect of the "load in" is required to be employed for the entire length of the "load in." Producers argue that this practice is not only costly, it is unnecessary.

The work stoppage which shut down popular Broadway plays and musicals, such as "The Color Purple," "Chicago," "Grease," "Phantom of the Opera," has cost New York City millions of dollars in the past week.

Pressure to settle the dispute is increasing as the holiday approaches and the strike hurts many businesses.

Twenty-five Broadway eateries were offering a 15 percent discount on lunch and dinner starting Saturday and running through Nov. 25 except Thanksgiving.