Attending live audience events after all this. A study.

I think the average person affected by this will be so excited to finally be able to go out, socialize and attend an event. Yes, I think people will be more cautious but I completely expect the crowds to return in a few weeks/a month after the CDC lifts everything.

More power to those who will still have more of a disposable income to attend whatever they want to. I also agree with you dramamama not going to run the risk either.

I'm young-ish and -- barring financial difficulties--- I probably will go to more live events once this is over because they will mean so much more after this isolation. I feel like I took all the great art around me for granted until now.

That said, most of the Broadway audience is very old, and barring a vaccine, I would not advice my older family members to go out much. So I would imagine content, esp in the theater, will have to be geared more towards younger folks.

PutonyourWarPaint said: "Is it too much to ask that while an usher scans your barcode for your ticket, why not have an alternate device to scan your foreheadfor temperature? That may have seemed incredibly invasive if I had post this 8 weeks ago. But we are in a different world now."

1. Ushers and ticket takers are two separate positions in the theater.

2. A hot forehead doesn't necessarily mean you have a fever.

dramamama611 said: "Interesting! And while I would love ifSutton was correct - I think what will stick in a lot of people's mind is all the talk that there could be another wave in the fall. Who wants to run that risk?"



I think Sutton is correct regarding a portion of people who will go back once shows re-open. We are seeing people disregarding the social distancing rules so they will have no problem being in a theater.

But I also think what dramaram611 said is true if this comes to pass. What I could possibly see, now that they are re-evaluating the use of masks, is that we may be required to wear them while we are in places where social distancing is not possible. For the past few days I have just had thoughts of actors having to get used to looking out into an audience full of masks. Also, I attended a talk back 3 days before the shutdown and the audience participants had to sit in the second row and back. I would not be surprised if that didn't carry over to actual performances for a while. JMO

Uncageg, wow I was just thinking this morning about actors looking out and seeing a sea of masks, and how absolutely jarring that would be. I wonder if that will be the new normal for awhile. I guess I think that (my original post) because so many of my family and friends cannot wait to be out in the world again, put money back into the economy and support the arts as much as possible. But of course, weighing the risk is so important as well. Sadly, some people have gone on like nothing has happened, and continue to just do whatever they want out in the community. We will see what happens.

Jordan Catalano said: "And again, once we’re able to get everyone tested it’s going to create some ease as far as people knowing they’ve already had it."

Have they come to the conclusion you can only get it once? I thought so far they weren't sure.

Highland Guy said: "EvaLyn said: "That said, most of the Broadway audience is very old, and barring a vaccine, I would not advice my older family members to go out much. So I would imagine content, esp in the theater, will have to be geared more towards younger folks."
And just how old is very old?
Enough with the stupid ageist comments."

Thank you, Highland Guy. And just to insert some hard data to counter EvaLyn's speculation about how audiences are "very old", here's the latest info from the Broadway League, released January 2020 about the 2018-2019 season. https://www.broadwayleague.com/press/press-releases/the-broadway-league-reveals-the-demographics-of-the-broadway-audience-for-2018-2019-season/ The salient point is this: "The average age of the Broadway theatre goer was 42.3 years old. This average has hovered between 40 and 45 years old for the past two decades."

uncageg said: "Huss417 said: "Jordan Catalano said: "And again, once we’re able to get everyone tested it’s going to create some ease as far as people knowing they’ve already had it."

Have they come to the conclusion you can only get it once? I thought so far they weren't sure."

And how long before they can get everyone tested? That will take quite a long time.

Also who says you can’t get it AFTER ‘passing the test’ initially

Kad said: "While I would agree that older people (65+) would not constitute most of Broadway's audience, an average age isn't a particularly good way to see what demographics look like."

While that is true, the average age of an audience member on Broadway is 42 years old. That means the audiences would skew much older, especially when factoring in the younger ages of the audiences for The Lion King and Aladdin.

Updated On: 4/2/20 at 05:39 AM

Exactly, a bunch of popular w/ tourists shows on Broadway are geared towards children so that decreases that average age considerably.

"Very old" = the age range that is most in danger from this virus. The virus is ageist.