Coronavirus: The Spring Season Scene Stealer — Page 2

Exactly! I've already started making my purchases for seeing Fun Home and The Secret Garden in Sydney. I COULD end up stuck and bored there, but I'd be stuck and bored in a cool place with some TV shows I have never seen before.

I don't think anything would be adjusted.

There's not enough traffic for Broadway shows (esp. new ones) from non-english speakers (aka where the outbreaks mostly are) for this to really set them behind. And, I don't think the average theater-goer will think too hard about this.

ArtMan said: "RWPrincess said: "Perhaps a good reason to buy ticket insurance or maybe not purchase them so far ahead unless you absolutely have to. Same goes for travel plans -- make sure to have trip insurance, a refundable airline ticket, or some other type of Plan B.

At the moment, cruise lines are not allowing anyone who has traveled through mainland China within 14 days of sail date to board. However, they have not issued any waivers should other passengers decide to cancel or change plans out of precaution. So the only thing covering these passengers would be cancel anytime trip insurance."

Travel insurance has always been and definitely now sketchy on reasons to cancel I heard horror stories from people who had cancel anytime trip insurance and they still didn't pay. Keep in mind, depending on what credit card you use, there are free travel insurance benefits, if you use your card to pay."

The credit card policies are the ones that tend to be a bit more limited but always read the fine print before purchasing your trip. With cancel anytime policies, you're typically just out the cost of the actual policy and/or a small fee but the majority if not all of the trip cost should be refunded. Specifics are usually in the fine print.

RWPrincess said: "Perhaps a good reason to buy ticket insurance or maybe not purchase them so far ahead unless you absolutely have to."

This is a great point. Until people feel safer, I can see advanced ticket sales taking a hit.

I had the same sort of thinking in booking a hotel for my April trip. I was booked for a so-so hotel, and decided to switch to more of a luxury hotel. If something happens and I get quarantined in my hotel room while there, I’d rather be somewhere a bit nicer!"

And I had just canceled my luxury hotel and committed to my much cheaper hotel (but one I know and like) for April when we start to really hear the US concerns.

When Rachelle Ann Go had her valentine's day concert, the audience was required to go through a temperature check and everyone had to wear masks to be admitted into the theater

Everyone has become an armchair scientist and I think if the first cases didn't start in China, which is such a huge power in global economy, we wouldn't have this much panic based on fear and panic and internet speculation. This is a highly transmittable, but low mortality, new strain of the flu.

Sadly, it's affecting domestic tourism as well, especially for people afraid to visit major cities like New York and London, just because of fear of being around foreign tourists. I just hope the hype dies down a bit

But isn't it the impact of the coronavirus threat which pushed the market's behavior? The fear of a more widespread impact on world trade is exactly why Wall Street telegraphed that kind of signal, which is said to mirror the market behavior before the 2008 recession ( although that was more due to the bubble bursting in the financial market). Given that China is considered the factory of the world and also supplier of some rare natural resources, the impact is both on the supply side and the demand side of commerce and trade! China has closed its manufacturing operations to some extent and the supply chain is expected to be broken ( Apple has already announced expected delays in shipment of its products). On the demand side, demand has softened so significantly especially on the travel and retail side. Look at all the aggressive promos that credit card companies, hotels, airlines and retail stores are plugging to encourage purchase of goods or services. Layoffs or incidence of unpaid leaves have been announced especially for the airline industry... Also, China is one of the largest consumer market for Hollywood films.

Hollywood is very fearful - as its tentpole business is facing threats of people not showing up to see the movies in many places, incl China. What will happen to the billion-dollar box office champs that are lining up for the summer season ( Bond/Wonder Woman/Fast&Furious/etc)? In the case of Disney - people are wondering how its $200 million( that does not include promotion) budget movie with an all-Chinese cast, MULAN, will fare? Not only that, it is facing temporary closures of its theme parks. Of course, unlike most of Broadway though - the big studios have the option of streaming the first releases. And indies will likely be available on TV or streamers... Some Hollywood film productions have already stopped temporarily esp in places where the health threat is siginificant (e.g., Italy).

Fortunately for the USA, there is a very low incidence of infection at the moment.

We all hope the health crisis will blow over soon! It may not just be losing a chance to see a show on Broadway ( because one is reluctant to travel or be in an enclosed space) -- but it could mean, for some, even a loss of a means of livelihood... and even more tragically, the health impact of the virus crisis.

Updated On: 2/29/20 at 04:26 PM

Yup, buckle up kids!

Older people and people with underlying health conditions are the most vulnerable. We have a lot of them in the theatre community. Please PLEASE take good care of yourself!!! I'm not religious, but I pray everyone in the theatre community (and everyone in general) gets through this intact.