Broadway reopening- Page 4

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 5/3/21 at 11:31pm

>>Unless any owners of the theatres seriously took this time to revamp the ventilation and spacing of backstage and audience areas, it will not be safe to go back into them. Casts and crews should not feel safe going into those historically cramped backstages, and it will not be surprising if they refuse.

There are countless actors and crew who have been out of work for over a year. If those who are concerned about it but refuse to be vaccinated will and should be replaced. 

>>We’re coming out of a depression, and it’s hard to believe a lot of peoples’ first big purchase will be theatre tickets. Maybe for some that have the means, but not enough to keep the industry going. This is still all being too rushed, and if none of these practical things have been considered, Broadway is no where near ready. They’d basically be turning the whole theatre district into a super-spreader breeding ground.

We continue pushing it off and Broadway will die. It will wither on the vine and it will die. There is absolutely NO reason why they should not be able to return by the fall when we will be over 200M Vaccinated. People are not going to continue to WAIT. That's what the year has been for. The vaccine is here and everyone who wants to be enjoying live entertainment of any sort indoors should have been running to get it.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 12:45am

@Playbill_Trash you really owe it to yourself to become familiar with things before you write about them. There is literally nothing accurate in what you wrote and it betrays a fundamental lack of knowledge. I don't know where you are but I am guessing it is nowhere near here. You can of course do as you please; the rest of us are moving forward. and safely.

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 12:58am

Playbill_Trash said: "Unless any owners of the theatres seriously took this time to revamp the ventilation and spacing of backstage and audience areas, it will not be safe to go back into them. Casts and crews should not feel safe going into those historically cramped backstages, and it will not be surprising if they refuse.

As for sitting 6ft apart in the audience, letting audiences in at limited capacity would mean a huge cut in ticket sales each performances. In order for each production to earn their nut each week, one would assume ticket prices will sky-rocket.

We’re coming out of a depression, and it’s hard to believe a lot of peoples’ first big purchase will be theatre tickets. Maybe for some that have the means, but not enough to keep the industry going. This is still all being too rushed, and if none of these practical things have been considered, Broadway is no where near ready. They’d basically be turning the whole theatre district into a super-spreader breeding ground."

Knew of these was bound to pop up in this thread eventually. I'm just surprised it took so long.

Get off your high horse. And if you don't want to come to the theatre, then stay home. I promise we won't miss you. Oh, and have you ever heard of a vaccine? It's this little thing that we have now, that is a big part of making it safe for Broadway to return. Maybe you should go and get one (which I suspect you haven't, given your vast lack of knowledge on literally everything else in your post).

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 1:04am

Bettyboy72 said: "This is nice to hear. I’m not sure how much this announcement changes things on the great white way. Social distancing does not exist in a Broadway theatre. I’m still thinking fall winter and next spring for re-openings.

There are many a high profile Broadway actor currently in shows that closed scattered across the country. None of them have given an indication of an imminent plan to return. Some have gone so far as to say there are no details and they anticipate returning to NYC in the fall at the earliest."

Cuomo specifically said the social distancing rule wouldn't apply to businesses that require vaccination, or proof of a negative test. I can't imagine Broadway not doing that.

[bear88]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 4:17am

BroadwayRox3588 said: "Cuomo specifically said the social distancing rule wouldn't apply to businesses that require vaccination, or proof of a negative test. I can't imagine Broadway not doing that."

It's the only way this can possibly work. There are plenty of logistical details to be worked out, including how to address the issue of fake vaccination records or negative tests. None of this is going to be easy, and plenty can go awry. The current positivity rate in New York City, while headed in the right direction for the moment, is still rather high.

I'm going to be cautiously optimistic and hope and I can come to New York City on vacation in the spring of 2022. 

 

[Sunny11]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 6:07am

This reluctance of Broadway to come up with a business model to include social distancing is frustrating.  Schools, colleges, airlines, hospitals, retail, everywhere have been able to figure it out. It’s  not rocket science.

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 6:23am

Sunny11 said: "This reluctance of Broadway to come up with a business model to include social distancing is frustrating. Schools, colleges, airlines, hospitals, retail,everywhere have been able to figure it out. It’s not rocket science."

I also find it frustrating because...I don’t think they are going to have full houses right away, regardless of when they decide to reopen. Attendance is already going to be down (both because tourism isn’t back 100% nor people’s comfort in general) so why is the idea of spacing out seats so obtuse? 

[JasonC3]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 6:38am

Sunny11 said: "This reluctance of Broadway to come up with a business model to include social distancing is frustrating. Schools, colleges, airlines, hospitals, retail,everywhere have been able to figure it out. It’s not rocket science."

Wouldn't such a model have to include at least one of the following?

A. Mounting shows with very low overhead.
B. Digital streaming of shows in addition to in-person performances.
C. Reducing running costs
D. Losing money weekly

B and C would require renegotiating terms of existing contracts, right?

[Sunny11]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 6:50am

Yes, and I say “ Just get on with it. The show must go on!”

 

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 6:51am

JasonC3 said: "Sunny11 said: "This reluctance of Broadway to come up with a business model to include social distancing is frustrating. Schools, colleges, airlines, hospitals, retail,everywhere have been able to figure it out. It’s not rocket science."

Wouldn't such a model have to include at least one of the following?

A. Mounting shows with very low overhead.
B. Digital streaming of shows in addition to in-person performances.
C. Reducing running costs
D. Losing money weekly

B and C would require renegotiating terms of existing contracts, right?"

Yep. All of these items are why six-foot spacing between seats is a non-starter for Broadway. That isn't rocket science, either.

I will echo what has been said by other folks; vaccinations are the key. Roll up your sleeves, if you haven't already.

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 6:54am

Sunny11 said: "Yes, and I say “ Just get on with it. The show must go on!”

Get on with what, exactly? VERY few, if any, of the previously running shows would be able to operate under that hypothetical model. And with it being hard enough for a production to turn a profit, even under the existing model, good luck to any production on making any money at all. Without money, the market dries out, and Broadway ceases to exist. As HogansHero said on either this thread, or another (I don't remember which), the market is god. Bow down.

Money doesn't grow on trees.

Updated On: 5/4/21 at 06:54 AM

[Sunny11]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 7:53am

How do  schools with zero budget perform former Broadway shows every year?

My elementary school performed Joseph and the amazing technicolour dream coat in the mid 90s. It took a lot of dish cloths on heads, a hard working  piano player and many hours in the art classroom painting sets but it happened and we killed it.

Updated On: 5/4/21 at 07:53 AM

[Owen22]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 8:33am

Wasn't there a study recently released form MIT that found the six foot rule doesn't and never really did matter? If you are masked you could be six or sixty feet away from someone who is contagious and have equal chance of catching the virus. Which is very slim. 

But people seem to still be hanging onto this six foot rule even so. Like wearing masks outside or constantly washing our hands and fear of surface contagion. These were early confusions proved wrong. Sorta like when we, early on, were told NOT to wear masks.  Which is still being used as an excuse not to wear them!

As scientists evolve with an understanding of how this disease spreads, regular human people seem to be reluctant to evolve.

Updated On: 5/4/21 at 08:33 AM

[Wick3]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 9:05am

Even before the pandemic not all the Broadway houses were full.

I actually was still hoping Hamilton can reopen by 4th of July but that obviously is not likely.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 9:36am

Sunny11 said: "How do schools with zero budget perform former Broadway shows every year?

My elementary school performed Joseph and the amazingtechnicolour dream coat in the mid 90s. It took a lot of dish cloths on heads, a hard working piano player and manyhours in the art classroompainting setsbut it happened and we killed it."

Sunny11, I mean no disrespect when I say this and I'm sure your production was awesome, but were you able to charge $150 a seat 8 times a week for it and consistently fill 1300-seat houses?  Because that's the difference between why schools, community theatres and even some regional theatres are starting to be able to reopen and Broadway isn't.  Even taking out the lavish sets and costumes that people are expecting when they come to a Broadway show, the marketing costs and rent in NYC alone make it unfeasible to reopen socially distanced.  Now, instead of charging $150 a seat, could theatres open at 25% capacity and charge $600 a seat?  For a little while, maybe.  There may be enough demand to fill those seats temporarily.  But we're also at the end of a global pandemic with record unemployment rates, meaning there aren't going to be that many who are going to regularly shell out $600 a ticket.  And then within a month, everything would be losing money and have to shut down again.  So unless unions and producers are willing to really work together and negotiate lower salaries for a while (which they've clearly established isn't happening), it's just not feasible to open at reduced capacity.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 10:23am

My hypothetical reopening schedule:

Week of September 7: Hamilton, Wicked, Lion King, Phantom, Book of Mormon

Week of September 28: Chicago, Come From Away, Hadestown, Dear Evan Hansen, Moulin Rouge

Week of October 12: Six, Tina, West Side Story, Aladdin, Harry Potter

Week of October 26: Jagged Little Pill, Ain't Too Proud, Too Kill A Mockingbird, American Utopia, Girl From the North Country

Week of November 9: Diana, Mrs. Doubtfire, Flying Over Sunset, Company, Plaza Suite

TBD: American Buffalo, Caroline, or Change, Lackawanna Blues, The Lehman Trilogy, MJ: the Musical, Take me Out, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Trouble In Mind, The Who's Tommy

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 10:38am

Something I was thinking about today was how nice it’ll be in the coming weeks to start to see photos and videos of casts rehearsing and back in theaters. I have no doubt we’ll be getting our fair share of daily “diaries” from a lot of the shows reopening.

[DrMonicaDeMoneco]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 10:39am

ACL2006 said: "My hypothetical reopening schedule:

Week of September 7: Hamilton, Wicked, Lion King, Phantom, Book of Mormon

Week of September 28: Chicago, Come From Away, Hadestown, Dear Evan Hansen, Moulin Rouge

Week of October 12: Six, Tina, West Side Story, Aladdin, Harry Potter

Week of October 26: Jagged Little Pill, Ain't Too Proud, Too Kill A Mockingbird, American Utopia, Girl From the North Country

Week of November 9: Diana, Mrs. Doubtfire, Flying Over Sunset, Company, Plaza Suite

TBD: American Buffalo, Caroline, or Change, Lackawanna Blues, The Lehman Trilogy, MJ: the Musical, Take me Out, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Trouble In Mind, The Who's Tommy

"

Hello. I like your hypothetical list of reopenings. I think it is wishful thinking though. I would cut that list in half and then in 1/2 again. It would be wonderful if Broadway followed your schedule!

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 10:51am

bear88 said: "BroadwayRox3588 said: "Cuomo specifically said the social distancing rule wouldn't apply to businesses that require vaccination, or proof of a negative test. I can't imagine Broadway not doing that."

It's the only way this can possibly work. There are plenty of logistical details to be worked out, including how to address the issue of fake vaccination records or negative tests. None of this is going to be easy, and plenty can go awry. The current positivity rate in New York City, while headed in the right direction for the moment, is still rather high.

I'm going to be cautiously optimistic and hope and I can come to New York City on vacation in the spring of 2022."

I obviously agree that this is the only way it works. While there are logistical issues regarding the app-based records, they are being worked out and the system works, as evidenced by the fact that we have been using it for sporting events for months. As I said elsewhere, sure there will be cheaters but it will not be significant. Also, your data on NYC is wrong. The positivity rate is actually quite low (1.4% in Manhattan and 2.73% metro) and headed down. The infection rate is even lower (0.73%) and the vaccination rate is 56.3% which is of course high. If you further filter by zipcode to the theatre-going ones, the number falls off even more dramatically. The numbers look the same in the outer borough zipcodes that theatre tickets are purchased from. So the bottom line is, we are going to be ready. 

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 10:59am

HogansHero said: "The positivity rate is actually quite low (1.4% in Manhattan and 2.73% metro) and headed down. The infection rate is even lower (0.73%) and the vaccination rate is 56.3% which is of course high. If you further filter by zipcode to the theatre-going ones, the number falls off even more dramatically. The numbers look the same in the outer borough zipcodes that theatre tickets are purchased from. So the bottom line is, we are going to be ready."

The positivity rate is definitely going down in NYC, but I think the real question is, how do higher rates in other parts of the country affect the ability for NYC to reopen?  We all know NYC is ultimately a tourist-driven town, so if things reopen and people from Idaho, Michigan, Iowa, Alabama, etc., all of whom have much higher positivity rates, start coming to the city, will NYC start to spike again?  That's why I think ultimately transmission rate is going to be the biggest indicator as to when Broadway can reopen safely.  The reality is people with covid are going to be coming to visit NYC (whether knowingly or unknowingly), so how likely is it that they're going to transmit the virus to the Broadway workers (and every other local resident they encounter) while they're here?

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 11:18am

ACL2006 said: "My hypothetical reopening schedule:

Week of September 7: Hamilton, Wicked, Lion King, Phantom, Book of Mormon

Week of September 28: Chicago, Come From Away, Hadestown, Dear Evan Hansen, Moulin Rouge

Week of October 12: Six, Tina, West Side Story, Aladdin, Harry Potter

Week of October 26: Jagged Little Pill, Ain't Too Proud, Too Kill A Mockingbird, American Utopia, Girl From the North Country

Week of November 9: Diana, Mrs. Doubtfire, Flying Over Sunset, Company, Plaza Suite

TBD: American Buffalo, Caroline, or Change, Lackawanna Blues, The Lehman Trilogy, MJ: the Musical, Take me Out, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Trouble In Mind, The Who's Tommy

"

I don't have knowledge of every show, but I do know that Book of Mormon, Moulin Rouge!, Hamilton, Aladdin, and Hadestown are all aiming for early fall opening. BUT the timeline may put their opening in late Sept or early Oct (due to some challenges with getting rehearsals underway) instead of the hoped for early September/Labor Day weekend dates.

Rehearsals and re-casting are going to delay things slightly longer than we all would like, and some of the shows that are aiming for "fall" might not be ready to go until October and November unless AEA loosens rules around rehearsals (Few productions have rehearsals scheduled prior to August, they are just hoping restrictions loosen by then). Which they may very well feel the pressure to do now that the city will be reopening.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 12:06pm

Broadway61004 said: "The positivity rate is definitely going down in NYC, but I think the real question is, how do higher rates in other parts of the country affect the ability for NYC to reopen? We all know NYC is ultimately a tourist-driven town, so if things reopen and people from Idaho, Michigan, Iowa, Alabama, etc., all of whom have much higher positivity rates, start coming to the city, will NYC start to spike again? That's why I think ultimately transmission rate is going to be the biggest indicator as to when Broadway can reopen safely. The reality is people with covid are going to be coming to visit NYC (whether knowingly or unknowingly), so how likely is it that they're going to transmit the virus to the Broadway workers (and every other local resident they encounter) while they're here?"

Quick answers for you. First, despite what you read here, tourism is not going to return that quickly. Second, no one is contemplating letting anyone into a theatre without a vaccine or negative test. (I've mentioned the Clear app, by the way. Their health pass is not yet operational for general use, but you can get all of the details. If you are interested, download it and have a look at what's on the way. They are already using it for individual events. The Mets, for instance, use it.) Third, as I said, the Venn diagram of theatregoers and the unvaccinated is small. Fourth, central Manhattan is approaching or at herd immunity. Fifth, remember that at this point, infections are an epidemiologic concern but not a personal one. The 77% of people in the theatre district who are vaccinated have no personal concern, and the city is approaching the point that it is not going to be a public health issue. Anti-vaxxers, even if they come to cause trouble (a weird way to spend a vacation if you ask me) are going to have a miserable time in New York. Hopefully they will leave and never come back because they are not welcome here. Finally, remember that, as it relates to the theatre, masks are still required and likely will be at least until early next year.

[leefowler]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 12:14pm

There's only one question worth asking: When can Broadway shows be profitable again?

[Wick3]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 12:41pm

I forget where I read it but there's a general statistic out there stating only 25% of Broadway shows are profitable pre-pandemic.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/4/21 at 1:04pm

leefowler said: "There's only one question worth asking: When can Broadway shows be profitable again?"

TBH it's not a very good question. Broadway is not a single entity; it is an amalgam of independent productions (with a footnote for Disney) with each tub on its own bottom. I expect some shows (e.g., Hamilton) to be making money out of the gate, and I expect other shows (as has always been the case) never will. Profitability, of course, also depends on where a production is on the continuum. A show that has already recouped and that has reserves sufficient to cover reopening costs is in a vastly different tub than a show that is opening from scratch. I'd say the better better question is how many shows will open/reopen with a viable path to profitability. A good part of that analysis is the truly key question of whether there is a strong enough market for the show and in turn what the competition is going to be. This is why the reopening is going to be slower than some here are imagining. If too many shows open in the first few months, and do not find a market because of oversupply, a lot of them will have a hard time making it to Christmas, and even more into the cold dark days of winter.