Edited by: Ameya Aneja, Geethi Tarra & Mridula Divakar, Blogged by: Sahithi Lingampalli
On March 12th, 2020, Broadway shut down due to the rising COVID-19 cases. The closure was supposed to be temporary, only for about one month, but the pandemic caused the opening date to be pushed back. This resulted in a major setback for New York’s economy as Broadway provides approximately 97,000 jobs and $14.7 billion per year. Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City explains that, “Broadway needs to come back, and we will move heaven and earth to bring Broadway back.” Broadway is scheduled to reopen on September 14, 2021, 18 months after it first closed. Tickets are currently being sold at 100% theater capacity.
To manage the spread of Covid-19, New York is taking necessary precautions. The new maximum capacity for theaters now is 150 audience members. All audience members must be fully vaccinated or provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test taken before the event. This means that nobody can simply drop into the theater and get a ticket like earlier. Wearing masks is mandatory for everybody. . For workers in Broadway, there will be a Covid-19 vaccination site in midtown, and they will need to wear masks. Within the theater, social distancing guidelines will be enforced and compulsory. Various hand sanitizer booths will also be placed around the theater.
Crowds have always been a problem for Broadway. Theaters are often overcrowded due to lack of space on the streets nearby. New York is working on plans to manage this, including staggering the arrival, departure, and show times.
There are 30 shows planned to be shown before the end of 2021, 15 of which will begin in September. Some of these shows include Hamilton, The Lion King, Wicked, Aladdin, Chicago, and Come From Away. Since these shows are already popular and well-known, marketing isn’t required on such a high scale to be able to reopen. It will be harder for longer shows with intermissions to reopen soon, but shorter shows can reopen. One of these includes ‘Six’, which many are favoring due to its short length and small cast and team.
Other venues of Broadway are looking towards streaming musicals online until they can reopen. No matter what happens in the future, Broadway is developing plans that are safe to the audience and performers. After all, the show must go on.
References
News, E. (2021, May 6). Back on Broadway! Great White Way gets date to restart shows. ABC7 New York. Link.
Tsioulcas, A. (2021, March 25). NYC Mayor Promises To Help Broadway Reopen By September. NPR. Link.
Thomas, S. (2021, May 18). How will Broadway reopen again in 2021? New York Theater Guide. Link.
Lunden, J. (2021, May 3). Broadway Shows Can Reopen In May, But That Doesn’t Mean They Will. NPR. Link.
Thomas, S. (2021, May 18). How will Broadway reopen again in 2021? New York Theater Guide. Link.
Hurtado, J. (2021, May 6). When Broadway Reopens, What Theater Fans Can Expect in 2021. TickPick Blog. Link.