Andrew Lloyd Webber Threatens to Defy UK Government to Reopen Theatres at Full Capacity — Page 2

There's a very simple way to alleviate all of these concerns: just get the vaccine.

I personally don't think we (or any country) should hold entire industries in limbo, just because of people who refuse to be vaccinated. I was watching an interview with a player on the Washington Football Team, who said he wasn't going to get vaccinated until he got COVID. Why should entire industries have to continue suffering, to protect people like that? If people don't want to get vaccinated, that's their fault. NMP.

Updated On: 6/9/21 at 02:36 PM

BroadwayRox3588 said: "There's a very simple way to alleviate all of these concerns: just get the vaccine.

I personally don't think we (or any country) should hold entire industries in limbo, just because of people who refuse to be vaccinated. I was watching an interview with a player on the Washington Football Team, who said he wasn't going to get vaccinated until he got COVID. Why should entire industries have to continue suffering, to protect people like that? If people don't want to get vaccinated, that's their fault. NMP."

In general I agree but societies don't function in generalities. There are many aspects of this. First, obviously, a society is obliged to take the steps necessary to avoid epidemics. We can't have hospitals and morgues overrun with the dead and the near dead. Second, we are obliged to protect the helpless. When we let sick people into high risk environments with vaccinated people, we expose those with whom some of us live who cannot be vaccinated to the virus, including, for now at least, young children. Beyond that, no I don't care if idiots get sick. We have the means of avoiding them. For starters, in New York's theatre district, virtually everyone (over 99%) is vaccinated enough to prevent getting sick. And the clean folks can go to the theatre without concern as long as we kick the dirty folks to the curb. That seems to be what we are doing, and it works. Even most idiots will relent and get the shot once they are sufficiently inconvenienced. This is a sane, rational, and humane way to move forward. And it doesn't "hold entire industries in limbo, just because of people who refuse to be vaccinated." Contrast what we are doing with what the odious ALW is kvetching about. We don't let people die so rich people can get richer. Only pathetic Tories do that. We don't need to. We have a path forward. Yay.

MBFan said: "Are you saying no one will be allowed into a NYC theater ever unless they're vaccinated?"

Is that how it SHOULD be? Yes absolutely. Will it be? No... but see the difference between Broadway & London right now is that Broadway has already been given the greenlight to resume and could have weeks ago, but most shows opted to wait until September or even later to allow time for safe rehearsal, allow vaccinations to really take hold, and allow them to have the biggest audiences possible.

If the Government never shut London Theatre down, ALW would have used every justification he could muster to not close by choice for the good of the nation. He would have echoed his same messy science he's alluding to now to justify it as people in his companies & audiences fell ill. ALW (and I'm sure Cam Mac) are running toward that June opening date with bated breath because they're money hungry assholes putting their pocket books above doing this safely.

TheatreFan4 said: "Is that how it SHOULD be? Yes absolutely. Will it be? No... but see the difference between Broadway & London right now is that Broadway has already been given the greenlight to resume and could have weeks ago, but most shows opted to wait until September or even later to allow time for safe rehearsal, allow vaccinations to really take hold, and allow them to have the biggest audiences possible."

Social distancing is still a requirement for now, which is why Broadway isn't opening sooner. The financial conditions of a Broadway show make it impossible to make money if they can't sell every seat.

I think we shall have to see. I have long believed that the vaccine requirement may actually sell tickets rather than v/v, especially once we get past the holidays. Maybe things will change but when those southern states start to have another wave of virus in the winter, I don't know how many people are going to be keen on having them breathing on them. But I emphasize I don't know because we don't know.

Fosse76 said: "Social distancing is still a requirement for now,which is why Broadway isn't opening sooner. The financial conditions of a Broadway show make it impossible to make money if they can't sell every seat."

For like another 4 Days...

And let's be entirely honest, they're not selling every seat even in September. Sure it'll be an OPTION, but it's going to be a SLOW ramp up of people coming back through the end of the year. You're not going to see heavy audiences until the holidays. So yes, they could be having audiences right now. Or next month or August.

What was the method used that reached the conclusion that the events where not spreader events though? Was every customer tested biweekly for a month afterwards?

Many cases are asymptomatic so people may not have realised that they had it. At my hospital every staff member is aggressively tested and young 20/30 something colleagues in particular regularly test positive by surprise.

I have noticed a lot of government and business gaslighting by proclaiming low covid rates when actually their methodology is full of holes.

Sunny11 said: "What was the method used that reached the conclusion that the events where not spreader events though?Was every customer tested biweekly for a month afterwards?

Many cases are asymptomatic so people may not have realised that they had it. At my hospital every staff member is aggressively tested and young 20/30 something colleagues in particularregularly test positive by surprise.

I have noticed a lot of government and business gaslighting by proclaiming low covid rates when actually their methodology is full of holes."

Not gonna act like I know how they figure all this stuff out but the CDC has ways to track all this stuff and haven't said anything about it happening yet. If it did they would most likely release a report about it like they did with that large motorcycle event Sturgis in South Dakota...

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6947e1.htm

Fosse76 said: "That may be correct, but I was responding to the idea that they could just open Broadway now. Since it's not clear that vaccinating would be required for all shows, I was making a general statement.

But I agree that it is likely moot. NY should reach a 70% vaccination rate relatively soon. We appear to be the last state with a fair amount ofrestrictions still."

Understood but I guess on the first I would say that Broadway could open at any time with vaccinations. And on the latter, I guess I hope it is not moot whether by rule or in practice. And I am less concerned about being the last with restrictions now than I am about making sure we are the last to need them again in the fall. And it seems like a foregone conclusion that some of those states are going to be back in trouble then. But I digress.

SweetLips22 said: "Yesterday in Brisbane, Queensland I went to a full capacity, no masks or social distancing[ though was recommended] production of a concert production of Chess. There were 60 in the choir, 30 piece orchestra, 8 Greek chorus working with the principles. It was stunning !!

It was a 2pm show and I went to the box office afterwards and bought a ticket for that night's performance, it was that brilliant.

So fortunate but all could, and has, change in a instant.."



And it has just been announced that Brisbane will (likely) host the 2032 summer Olympic games. Wonder what Brisbane (and the world) will look like over a decade from now. I will be 85 years old then and, if I'm still upright, will attend the games. In the meantime, good wishes to Brisbane.

Apparently the UK PM is talking to ALW about opening Cinderella as a ‘pilot’ event despite an announcement today that officially full capacity events are postponed.

https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/boris-johnson-lloyd-webber-cinderella_54272.html

The production have emailed ticket holders saying they are working behind the scenes about what is going to happen, so maybe it’ll work out. At worst maybe they’ll cancel tickets to be under the limit. I’d be surprised if they cancel entire shows at this stage as they’re in rehearsals right now and it’s only meant to be 4 weeks (but anything could happen I guess).

Anyway, hoping that it’ll go ahead. I think getting fixated on these public events to me seems a little like rearranging the deck chairs of the titanic. The UK are already crowding around bars, restaurants, flats and houses without masks. Not to mention that of course cinema and theatres can and many are open right now albeit lower capacity. Are full capacity theatres with masks really going to take it over the edge?

Updated On: 6/14/21 at 03:03 PM