As announced on Playbill.com, Broadway theatres will close their doors until April 13, 2020, due to growing concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first time since the 2007 stagehands strike that Broadway will go dark for an extended period of time.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in a press conference that beginning on March 13, gatherings of more than 500 people will be banned with the exception of hospitals, schools, nursing homes, and public transit. This announcement comes on the heels of the NHL and NBA suspending their seasons indefinitely and other events with mass amounts of people being cancelled.
“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,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League in a press release.
SIX, the musical about Henry VIII’s wives was set to open on March 12, Flying Over Sunset at Lincoln Center was set to play its first preview on March 12. The revival of Caroline, or Change and Plaza Suite were supposed to begin previews on March 13 and Sing Street’s first preview was scheduled for March 26. In addition, A Soldier’s Play and The Inheritance were set to play their final performances on March 15. There has been no word so far regarding new schedules for these shows.
Broadway artists took to social media to express their thoughts on the Broadway suspension. A tweet from Stephanie J. Block reads: We will rise again as artists. Now is the time to be civil leaders and proactive helpers & nurturers. My finances may be emptied but my heart, body & soul KNOWS this is the right thing to do for ALL.” Anaïs Mitchell, creator of Hadestown also tweeted “Sending love to everyone— casts, bands, crews, ushers, fans, artists, producers, hell even critics. I know how heartbreaking and hard this will be for so many… but I’m relieved to see some leadership that puts people before profits.”
Meanwhile, regional theatres across America are also temporarily shutting down to avoid the spread of the virus. Hamilton and Cursed Child have been cancelled in Los Angeles and San Francisco respectively. In Buffalo, the national tours of Hello, Dolly (ending the tour) and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time have been cancelled and the entire run of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was cancelled in St. Louis. Venues across the country are currently monitoring the situation as they figure out what to do next.
