B'way closed thru (at earliest) 1/3 now

https://www.broadwayleague.com/press/press-releases/the-broadway-league-announces-fall-performance-cancellations-while-working-on-protocols-for-curtains-to-rise-again/



Finally an official announcement.

Updated On: 6/29/20 at 11:14 AM

This is the first time I've actually been hopeful a reopening might be possible at the appointed date. January would be an ideal time to try out whatever safety measures are deemed necessary, since there are so few people in town.

ACL2006 said: "Was expected but sad nonetheless. I just really hope Broadway returns by the Spring. Just feels like a death sentence for Broadway if it doesn't attempt to return by the Spring."

Agreed. A reopening obviously has to be within safe parameters, but I think (sadly) that there'll be a point where a comeback (sorry... return) will be SO delayed that the damage will take years and years for any true recovery.

imeldasturn said: "I wonder if we'll hear some closure announcements in the next few days from producers that were trying to hold on. hope not."



I mean, it's been know that January or even the Spring has been the target to reopen for a while. We shall see if anything comes as a result of this news.

jpbran said: "ACL2006 said: "Was expected but sad nonetheless. I just really hope Broadway returns by the Spring. Just feels like a death sentence for Broadway if it doesn't attempt to return by the Spring."

Agreed. A reopening obviously has to be within safe parameters, but I think (sadly) that there'll be a point where a comeback (sorry... return) will be SO delayed that the damage will take years and years for any true recovery."

Exactly. Sigh...

GlindatheGood22 said: "This is the first time I've actually been hopeful a reopening might be possible at the appointed date. January would be an ideal time to try out whatever safety measures are deemed necessary, since there are so few people in town.

You can be optimistic, but it is not going to happen. If you work back from rehearsals needing to start, say some time in November / early December for a January opening / restart, that means that a vaccine will have to be certified with enough time to begin manufacture and distribution. That means that there are about 4 -5 months to run the next round of clinical tests, achieve success, and then start manufacture, distribution, etc. Also, Broadway people would need to be prioritized for the vaccine, so that they have it before rehearsals begin (I'll bet the Moulin Rouge crowd would agree with that). Then of course, early audiences would either need to be risk takers or also manage to get vaccinated early.

Have to acknowledge that I am betting on a summer reopening, and assume that MM tickets for April to Jun?July? will need to be changed again.

So with this closure of all Broadway shows til next year, does this mean Beetlejuice can take back the Winter Garden until the other shows open?



I laughed so hard typing that.

PutonyourWarPaint said: "So with this closure of all Broadway shows til next year, does this mean Beetlejuice can take back the Winter Garden until the other shows open?



I laughed so hard typing that."

One could argue that it should go to a larger theatre, in anticipation of historically huge demand for tickets. What about Radio City Music Hall?

220Basswood said: "PutonyourWarPaint said: "So with this closure of all Broadway shows til next year, does this mean Beetlejuice can take back the Winter Garden until the other shows open?
I laughed so hard typing that."

Lol. Now maybe the people who have been posting on the thread about the Music Man needing to postpone its run so Beetlejuice can use the Winter Garden can finally stop their posts. I wonder if they will do a write in campaign asking Beetlejuice to come back until Hugh starts his previews.......

"

Oh my GOSH am I tired of those arguments. As if it would have changed their closing if a pandemic hadn't happened. Shows CLOSE. They need to stop. The Music Man means things to other people too, and just because it isn't them doesn't mean they can poo poo it. Is it unfortunate that the situation played out the way it did? Yes. Does it mean they should still be "salty" and hating on The Music Mans every move? Absolutely not. Do they really think those producers would take a gamble by reopening the show? *Insert longest eye roll here*

Mr Roxy said: "How many restaurants will be able to last ? Times Square and the entire area around it will become will be a virtual disaster area.Things will be so bad people would flock to a Wildhorn show just to see live theater ."

Plenty of restaurants are open right now, but even if some of them closed. as night follows day, when there are audiences there will be places ready willing and able to feed them. I have been impressed by how quickly the city has provided outdoor space for restaurants, and how much planning restaurants had already done to get up and running. I walked down a street filled with places open in the curb lane with a friend over the weekend. When I seemed surprised, he said "don't be, this is New York, adapt is what we do best." And he is right.

ACL2006 said: "Was expected but sad nonetheless. I just really hope Broadway returns by the Spring. Just feels like a death sentence for Broadway if it doesn't attempt to return by the Spring."

Not looking pretty as of today. To the world, the US is the last place you want to put foot on and the optics keep getting worse. If Broadway thinks they can survive on local and (some) domestic tourism only. Otherwise, things just keep getting uglier.

At this pace, Spring of 2021 sounds naive.

Updated On: 6/29/20 at 03:15 PM

blaxx said: "ACL2006 said: "Was expected but sad nonetheless. I just really hope Broadway returns by the Spring. Just feels like a death sentence for Broadway if it doesn't attempt to return by the Spring."

Not looking pretty as of today. To the world, the US is the last place you want to put foot on and the optics keep getting worse. If Broadway thinks they can survive on local and (some) domestic tourism only. Otherwise, things just keep getting uglier.

At this pace, Spring if 2021 sounds naive."

There is no tourism, and most shows exhaust the local market after about 9 months (not that there isn't a local market after that, just not one that would sustain the shows run). No one knows what the landscape will loom like when Broadway reopens. I think, though, that it won't reopen until the virus is under control and public life is normalized. Supposedly the are some promising advancements, but it will still be later rather than sooner.