Coronavirus News: Broadway Shuts Down After N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo Bans Gatherings Of 500 Or More
Broadway officially went dark on Thursday, the same day that Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people.
Performances have shutdown until at least April 12, according to The Broadway League, as New York City faces a coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than 100 people in the five boroughs.
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“Our top priority has been and will continue to be the health and well-being of Broadway theatregoers and the thousands of people who work in the theatre industry every day, including actors, musicians, stagehands, ushers, and many other dedicated professionals,” the president of The Broadway League, Charlotte St. Martin, said in a press release.
Broadway Theatres to suspend performances through April 12, 2020.
More: https://t.co/Rj90jV7MkG pic.twitter.com/w0BIWyugI0
— The Broadway League (@BroadwayLeague) March 12, 2020
This shutdown means that the 31 shows currently on Broadway will close, and the 16 openings scheduled for the next month will be postponed. April 23 is the opening deadline for shows that want to be eligible for this year’s Tony Awards, which is scheduled to take place June 7. Officials have said that these dates may change.
Broadway may see losses up to $100 million, The Hollywood Reporter estimated.
This is not the first time Broadway has been shutdown, but it may be the longest. Snowstorms and Hurricane Sandy have shut shows down, as well as the Sep. 11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Those closures only lasted a few days though. The longest closures have been from labor strikes, with a musician strike in 1975 that lasted 25 days, and a stagehand strike in 2007 that lasted 19 days.
Senior staff writer for Backstage.com Casey Mink shared this post-9/11 Broadway commercial in light of recent news:
Apropos of……a few things, I share this absolutely insane post-9/11 commercial for Broadway, which to this day I cannot watch without weeping. pic.twitter.com/YdKDKI40VD
— Casey Mink (@Casey_Mink) March 10, 2020
In an effort to lift the spirits of the Broadway community, Lin Manuel Miranda posted a previously unreleased Hamilton song to Twitter on Thursday:
Wish I could send you peace of mind via this app.
Alas.
But I can send you music no one’s heard. Here’s a cut Hamilton/Washington tune called I Have This Friend. No one’s heard it, not even Kail.
Funnier if you picture me and @ChrisisSingin singing it.https://t.co/lhkLP0jQeT— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) March 12, 2020
Others in the Broadway community shared more positivity:
Can you imagine how tasty all of the vocals are going to be on Broadway when we all finally return on April 13th after a month of ferocious vocal rest? The mixes will be CLEAR, the belts will be STRONG, and the riffs CLEAN, henney!
— Benjamin Rauhala (@brauhala) March 12, 2020
If there is one thing we know how to do is survive while still laughing & finding joy.
Music is one of our love languages as a people & right now we need all the love we can muster to pour over our community.
The workshop cast of AIDA blessed us with ”Aint Got No Job!” pic.twitter.com/GoL8BQqbMj
— Broadway Black (@BroadwayBlack) March 13, 2020
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