The Show Can’t Go On- Broadway’s Closure
The Show Can’t Go On
The Broadway theatre had remained open during many trying times in the U.S. The first time Broadway had closed was following the events of 9/11, primarily due to the transportation issues that resulted from the wreckage, and the grief that swept the nation. However, the burning heart of the theatre could not be extinguished and Broadway reopened only two days later on September thirteenth. It was important for people to be together and to be supportive in that time of shock and loss, which is quite the opposite of what is needed now. A former president of the Broadway League, Jed Bernstein, had mentioned that the closure of Broadway was more “uncertain” than that of the closure from 2001 because there was no clear exit. Safety for both guests and employees in the theatre is a top priority in the business and it would be difficult to implement safety measures into the theatre without watering down the experience.
According to the article Broadway won’t reopen in 2020, true to its title, the theatre would not be available to the public until June of next year at the earliest. Social distancing in the theatre would be a challenge and the New York state would only allow places to reopen as long as they met the guidelines. According to the article, which states that this percentage is one of the three biggest problems with Broadway’s reopening “Nearly 16% of Broadway theatergoers are over the age of 65. And once you remove tourists from the equation, that percentage goes higher.” An article on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) informs that the risk for getting COVID increases as a person gets older, and that those who are around sixty five years of age and older are more susceptible to severe illnesses. The theatre has narrow aisles, and over 65% of tickets sold are purchased by people who are out of state; this means that guests may be more at risk of catching COVID and passing it along if the theatre reopens. Not to mention that the staff members work together in close quarters, behind the scenes and doing stage set-ups, there is a bigger risk of the airborne disease spreading.
“Social distancing just doesn’t allow for a show to be viable financially,” Says Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League. There could be a few ways that the theatre could make things a bit easier for social distancing, like a maximum capacity limit, selling only a certain number of tickets for a show, or closing every other seat in an auditorium. However, this can deplete profits by a significant amount, quarantine has already done some damage; Broadway relies quite a bit on tourists, and with everyone staying home it made things difficult before the theatre actually closed back in March.
The closure is for the safety of all theatre-fanatics and staff, though there is no clear end to the pandemic. The top priority of the Broadway league and their members is the guests and actors. Despite all the negativity and disappointing statistics, there is still hope. The Playbill website, Broadway HD, and a select few streaming services have online videos of plays and shows for those who are lamenting the closure. These pre-recorded musicals, plays, and other shows are perfect for binging while waiting for the theatre to reopen. The end to the quarantine and the closure are still uncertain, but the estimated date that Broadway returns is May 31st, 2021. It seems far away, but the people in the Broadway League are still figuring out ways to safely begin production and accommodate all guests. The curtain will rise again.
SOURCES
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/12/theater/coronavirus-broadway-shutdown.html
https://broadwaynews.com/2020/03/12/the-history-of-broadway-shutdowns/ ^
https://www.playbill.com/article/16-broadway-plays-and-musicals-you-can-watch-on-stage-from-home
Dana Russell is a senior editor for the Paw Print and is a Journalism I student. She enjoys reading and writing, her favorite genre is thriller/mystery....
