Broadway Shows Are Back!
(Broadway Shows Will Open September 14, 2021)
UPDATE!
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday, May 4, 2021 that Broadway can now safely re-open with seating limits to be announce in the coming weeks by the various Broadway shows.
Last year, in March 2020, there were 31 productions running, including eight new shows in previews. Also, eight productions were in rehearsals preparing to open in the spring of 2020. Now, the lights are back on and waiting for the cast and crews to come back.
Broadway shows will resume Sept. 14, and tickets will go on sale starting Thursday, May 6. “They have to have a play to put on, and they are in the process of doing that,” Cuomo said.
The Broadway League said Tuesday that it is preparing shows, and the specific plays and their reopenings will be announced in the coming weeks.
“We are thrilled that Governor Cuomo clearly recognizes the impact of Broadway’s return on the city and state’s economy and the complexity of restarting an entire industry that has been dormant for over a year,” said Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of the Broadway League.
“Nothing beats Broadway.” said Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of the The Broadway League
This is good news for the City of New York and the more than 250,000 people who were attending the shows every week prior to the COVID-19 shutdown in March 2020.
New York is loosening COVID restrictions as infection rates fall. The positivity rate fell to 1.49% on Tuesday, the lowest level since late October. With such a low rate, Gov. Cuomo announcement was meet with great enthusiasm by New York visitors and residents.
Many shows will still be shuttered after the re-opening date. All shows will still have COVID-19 restrictions like mask wearing and more. As of now any show that re-opens can have 100% seating capacity.
For example, the only Broadway show to announce official plans to reopen was “Diana: The Musical,” which is hoping to start previews Dec. 1 at the Longacre Theatre.
“Today’s news means we are one step closer to the safe reopening of not just Broadway, but jobs for thousands of workers in the New York area,” said Mary McColl, executive director of the Actors’ Equity Association.
(Report from Last March 2020)
BROADWAY SHOWS
(Broadway Shows Canceled Until May 2021)
Broadway is extending its shutdown until at least May 30, 2021.
NEW YORK, NY — Broadway shows will be canceled through the middle of 2021, ending hopes that New York City’s theater industry could rebound from a difficult year thrown off course by the coronavirus pandemic.
All Broadway productions will be suspended until at least May 30, 2021, the Broadway League — an organization composed of theater owners and other influential industry figures — announced Monday. This week’s announcement marks the third time the shutdown has been extended since New York State ordered theaters closed in March at the onset of New York’s devastating coronavirus outbreak.
Productions that survive the coronavirus shutdown are “projected” to resume on a rolling basis in mid 2021, according to Broadway League executives. The organization is working with city and state officials, scientists and medical experts to develop safety guidelines for Broadway’s reopening.
“We are focused on identifying and implementing necessary measures that will enable us to resume performances safely for Broadway audiences and employees,” Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin said. “We are determined to bring back the people who rely on this industry for their livelihood, and to welcome back all those who love this vital part of New York City, as soon as it is safe to do so.”
People who bought tickets for shows through Jan. 3 will be contacted by ticket sellers for refunds or exchanges, Broadway League executives said. The organization encourages ticket holders to reach out to sellers if they aren’t contacted by July 13.
Thirty-one Broadway productions were running, eight were in previews and eight were in rehearsal when the industry was shut down on March 12, 2020.
This update originally appeared on the Broadway League website.
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