NEW YORK - Curtain up. Broadway theaters raced to reopen after stagehands and theater producers reached a tentative agreement, ending a crippling strike that kept more than two dozen shows dark for 19 days.

Most plays and musicals that were shut during the walkout, which began Nov. 10, were expected to be up and running Thursday evening.

The settlement came Wednesday night, the third day of marathon sessions in which the stagehands union, known as Local 1, and the League of American Theatres and Producers worked to end the lengthy work stoppage that has cost producers and the city millions of dollars.

“The contract is a good compromise that serves our industry,” said Charlotte St. Martin, the league's executive director. “What is most important is that Broadway's lights will once again shine brightly, with a diversity of productions that will delight all theatergoers during this holiday time.”

Union President James J. Claffey Jr. was equally effusive in signing off on the agreement, saying, “The people of Broadway are looking forward to returning to work, giving the theatergoing public the joy of Broadway, the greatest entertainment in the world.”

Details of the five-year contract, which must be approved by the union membership, were not disclosed.

But negotiations, which began last summer, were difficult, right up to the last day, as both sides struggled with what apparently was the final hang-up: the issue of wages. It concerned how much to pay stagehands in return for a reduction in what the producers say were onerous work rules that required them to hire more stagehands than are needed.

Until then, the talks had focused on how many stagehands are required to open a Broadway show and keep it running.

That means moving scenery, lights, sound systems and props into the theater; installing the set and making sure it works; and keeping everything functioning well for the life of the production.

The strike couldn't have happened at a worse time for Broadway. Such popular shows as “Wicked,” “Jersey Boys,” “Mamma Mia!” and “The Lion King” were shut during the lucrative Thanksgiving holiday week. It's normally one of the best times of the year for Broadway, as the city is filled with tourists and Christmas shoppers.

Financial losses were staggering. But it wasn't just producers and stagehands who were hurt. Actors, musicians and even press agents lost paychecks, too. And theater-related businesses also suffered.

City Comptroller William Thompson estimated the economic impact of the strike at $2 million a day, based on survey data that include theatergoers' total spending on tickets, dining and shopping. The league put the damage even higher.

Eight shows remained open during the strike (their theaters had separate contracts with Local 1), and they were joined by a ninth when “Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” got a court order to let it reopen.