Broadway To Significantly Extend Shutdown

I’ve got some surprising news coming from Broadway.   The Broadway League confirmed today that Broadway Theaters will remain closed through September 6th- that’s the day before Labor Day.   They had originally hoped to be closed through April 12th, a date that was then bumped back to June 7th.  No official return date has been set.

“While all Broadway shows would love to resume performances as soon as possible, we need to ensure the health and well-being of everyone who comes to the theater — behind the curtain and in front of it — before shows can return,” Broadway League president Charlotte St. Martin said in a statement  on Tuesday. “The Broadway League’s membership is working in cooperation with the theatrical unions, government officials and health experts to determine the safest ways to restart our industry. Throughout this challenging time, we have been in close communication with Gov. Cuomo’s office and are grateful for his support and leadership as we work together to bring back this vital part of New York City’s economy — and spirit.”

Like most things, there is a “wait-and-see” approach happening, as most analysts seem to be predicting Broadway will not reopen until 2021, though no one can seem to agree if they believe it will open in January or March.  Like many businesses, Broadway shows want to resume as soon as possible.  Socially distanced theaters at lower crowd capacity may be cost prohibitive given the high running costs associated with performances- not to mention the difficulty in keeping the actors themselves safe as being socially distant on stage would not be an option.

Thankfully we will have the opportunity to see the Broadway run of Hamilton (with the original cast) on Disney+.   I wonder if we’ll have the opportunity to see other productions as part of streaming services going forward?