Broadway on 9/11 and after

[caitlinette]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 6:51pm

I've been wondering about what it was like for Broadway during 9/11. Obviously all shows were cancelled that day I assume? How long did it take for shows to start up again? Was there a big decline in ticket sales? Was it hard for actors to go onstage and dance, sing, and make people laugh after such a shocking event happened?

Your thoughts?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 6:53pm

Shows started up a day or two later, most of them having a rousing rendition of God Bless America post-curtain call.

I'll never forget Mayor Giuliani's press conference about post-9/11 NY tourism...."Go see a play. You might even be able to get a ticket to The Producers."

Many shows went down the tubes because of the decreased tourism and closed. In some instances, actors agreed to pay-cuts to keep their shows afloat. Kiss Me Kate comes to mind in that instance.

Rocky Horror closed down for a number of weeks and then re-opened (I believe in time for Halloween) before closing.

[D2]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 7:05pm

Performances resumed on Thursday night - URINETOWN was supposed to open on the 13th, but postponed until the 20th. I was at the opening of URINETOWN, and the party after. There was a feeling of relief at just being able to concentrate on something other than the ghastly news for a few hours, although most people were talking about how difficult it was to get back into the swing of things immediately after. What I remember most, though, was the strange, deserted silence in the street as we left the party to go home. It was very quiet in the theatre district, very unusual and very eerie.

[e]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 7:20pm

Wasn't Assassins' Broadway premiere cancelled because of 9/11?

[antiandrewx]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 7:21pm

I know Spring Awakening's Broadway debut was canceled because of 9/11.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 7:22pm

Yes, that's true about Assassins. It was set for the Music Box to start previews on or around 9/11 but was deemed inappropriate for the time.

I didn't think Spring Awakening (assuming you're talking about the musical) was ready in 2001.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 7:24pm

Yes, Assassins was announced. A cast was even set, which included Raul Esparza and Douglas Sills.

[alliez92092]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 7:26pm

I actually just learned this like 5 minutes ago from listening to Michael Arden on Seth's Broadway Chatterbox, but it was second day at Julliard when 9/11 happened. What a great way to be introduced to the city.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 7:28pm

I believe Dance of the Vampires was also post poned.

Beauty and the Beast actually posted a POSSIBLE closure for early October during this time.

Many shows closed the Sunday following the attacks, although some pulled through. Kiss Me, Kate was supposed to close that Sunday or the Sunday next, I remember, but the aforementioned pay-cuts occured, which was a surprise announcement.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 7:28pm

Broadway theater virtually died right after the attacks. I attended A THOUSAND CLOWNS starring Tom Selleck about two weeks after 9/11. Restaurants were empty and you could literally walk right down the middle of 5th Avenue without any problems because traffic was so sparse.

A THOUSAND CLOWNS was another casualty of the attacks (not that it was a very good production to begin with).

[FosseForever3]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 7:30pm

I remember I had just started going to school in midtown when we were attacked (I think it was my fourth day of 8th gr.) Whoever commented on the deserted-ness was right on target. Everyone was afraid to be in the city.

[Mamie]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 7:33pm

I remembered posting this before. The date I posted it was 8/21/04 and the title of the thread was "What is your greatest theatre experience?"

"I would have to say that my greatest theater experience also came with a performance of POTO. It was 2 weeks after 9/11 and I was finally able to get from DC to NY. I'd wanted to come before but travel there wasn't being encouraged. There were lots of stories about how 9/11 had nearly destroyed Broadway as well and attendance at Broadway shows was extremely low. I read an article in the Washington Post about how the cast of "Kiss Me Kate" had given up half their salaries in order to keep the show going. (I'm not sure right now, but this may have involved their actually buying half the seats in the theater and then giving them to the families of the fire fighters and rescue teams.) The article also showed a picture of the audience at POTO - and it was nearly empty.

I'd seen POTO about 7 times over the years and really didn't have any great desire to see it again, but that picture really got to me. I took an early train to NY on Wednesday and managed to get in early enough to run to the theater, with bag in hand, and catch Kiss Me Kate. Imagine the shock (and JOY) to discover a nearly full theater! As you all know, it was mostly filled with New Yorkers rather than the tourist trade. It was a wonderful performance and the energy between the audience and the stage was almost visible. But it was nothing compared to the performance that night at Phantom.

That night the theater was packed. (I'm glad I got my ticket early or I wouldn't have made it in.) The people started cheering when the first notes from the orchestra started. I had a great seat in the 4th row where I could easily see the expressions on the actors faces as they realized what was happening that night. I remember it starting during the rehearsal scene for Hannibal, when the ballet girls danced onto the stage and sat down at stage left. One looked into the audience and slightly elbowed the girl next to her. THat girl also looked up and eventually they were all staring around the orchestra and up in the balcony. You could tell they were stunned by the size of that audience. They were having trouble fighting off the smiles!

Well, this went on all through the performance. I found myself so emotionally wrapped up in what was going on that I spent a good part of the evening literally sitting on the edge of my seat. I wasn't the only one.

The show ended and the curtain calls started. The audience couldn't seem to clap loud enough as each member of the cast entered. Finally it's Howard M's turn out on the stage and THAT'S when it became my greatest theater experience. Every member of the audience was on it's feet - not just clapping but yelling for him and the others. A cheer started up in the balcony and then moved through the theater like a wave. EVERYONE was cheering. You know how the cast holds hands and stands in a line at the end? Well HM had to let go and hold his hands over his face. The emotion was too strong.

I'll always cherish the memory of that night and I'll keep it with me forever."

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 7:39pm

Here's all the shows (that opened that season) that shuttered due to the death of the city's tourism during that time:

A Thousand Clowns (Sept 23)
Major Barabara (Sept 16)
If You Ever Leave Me, I'm Going With You (Sept 23)

Another was Stones in his Pockets, with one other I can not remember at this time. They were doing okay business anyway.

Here's something for your thoughts:

Disturbingly, Mandy Patinkin had a concert the night before 9/11 at the Neil Simon Theatre. From "Broadway Yearbook 2001-2002" by Steven Suskin:

Mandy finished his evening with an encore. As chilling an encore I've ever seen, and I hope to never see again...He put two small, rectangular boxes on either end [of the stage], placing an Israeli flag on the stage left pedestal and a Palestinean flag on the other. He then launched into "Hatikvah." As he reached the climax of the song, there was a bang on the piano; a flash of red light; and the two towers holding the flags toppled over.

Updated On: 2/12/07 at 07:39 PM

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 7:42pm

Mamie, your post gave me chills. Thank you.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 7:42pm

Gee, that's like Rosie "predicting" Anna Nicole's death. Updated On: 2/12/07 at 07:42 PM

[FosseForever3]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 7:52pm

Mamie that's beautiful. Thank you for that.

Now I'm in tears!

[Buscee]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 8:00pm

I remember that if you a member of Actors Equity you could get $25 tixs for yourself and a guest in hopes of filling theatres.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 8:04pm

The first show I saw after 9/11 might have been Thou Shalt Not

[kgallo]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 8:32pm

"I know Spring Awakening's Broadway debut was canceled because of 9/11."

antiandrewx: I read the same thing or something very similar in an interview with either Duncan Sheik, Steven Sater or Michael Mayer. It wasn't too long ago that I read it and I just wish I could remember where.

EDIT: This may be what I was thinking of: "'Spring Awakening' began its workshop life in 2000 and was to be part of the Roundabout Theater Company's 2002-3 season, but it was dropped in that company's post-9/11 budget crunch."

http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=11,2362,0,0,1,0

Updated On: 2/12/07 at 08:32 PM

[caitlinette]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 8:34pm

He then launched into "Hatikvah." As he reached the climax of the song, there was a bang on the piano; a flash of red light; and the two towers holding the flags toppled over.

Was that intentional? What caused it to happen?

[caitlinette]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 8:36pm

Mamie, what an awesome night at Phantom! What was it that caused the audience to cheer so loudly? Simply the fact that the actors were there to perform during such an awful time?

[wexy]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 8:36pm

I had tickets for the Yankee game that night. (which I still have)
I saw "The Women" at the Roundabout a few weeks later and the cast and audience gave each other a standing ovation.

Updated On: 2/12/07 at 08:36 PM

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 8:36pm

Cait: I think it was likely intentional.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 8:40pm

I remember going out to meet a friend for a drink the night of 9/11 -- we both couldn't stand looking at CNN anymore and needed to get out of the house and be around people. I walked 20+ blocks from the East 30s to the West teens and it was downright spooky. Just about every single business was closed on the way (many with signs in the window saying they were closed due to the tragedy). The only cars on the streets were emergency vehicles -- ambulances, fire trucks and police cars with flashing lights and sirens blaring. There were no regular cars, trucks, vans, cabs or buses and very few people on the sidewalks.

There was the smell of burning surfur (and god-knows-what-else) in the air -- a toxic all-encompassing smell that was everywhere you went (indoors and outdoors) that remained for more than a month afterwards. Amazingly, the bar we planned to meet at was open when I got there. There were only a dozen or two people there, many looking shell-shocked and the mood was decidedly somber. After an hour or so, my friend and I took off to take a look around the city. From Chelsea to Union Square to the East Village, the city was deserted with only the occasional person out on the streets (mostly people walking their dogs). It was eerie.

The next day, barricades went up at 14th Street, all the way across the city. For the next week or so, you could only venture south of that if you had ID proving that you lived there (which basically killed all business in the Village and Chinatown and below, including all the restaurants and theaters located there). From a theatre perspective, 9/11 pretty much wiped out Off-Broadway (and it's never fully recovered) with show after show posting closing notices within the following month or two.

Looking back at my calendar from 2001, I see that I attended several shows in the weeks following 9/11 -- A Chorus Line (at Papermill the following Sunday), Paul Rudnick's Rude Entertainment at the Greenwich House (with Harriet Harris, Peter Barlett and Neal Huff), Dance of Death at the Broadhurst (with Ian McKellan and Helen Mirren), the Dreamgirls Actor's Fund concert at the Ford Center. But, most people stayed home -- too traumatized to go anywhere or do anything.

It took Broadway and the theatre community many many months (if not more than a year) to get anywhere back to normal and you could still feel the lingering effects of the tragedy for a long time after that.

Updated On: 2/12/07 at 08:40 PM

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 2/12/07 at 8:46pm

I was at NYU at that time and I remember there were a few weeks where they were selling tickets to about 10-15 shows on Broadway for just $5 each to students, just to get people into the seats.
(This was done at the NYU library, not at the box office.)