Vanity Fair on Broadway's Reopening - "Not Until There's a F**king Vaccine"

[CT2NYC]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 2:26pm

“Not Until There’s a F**king Vaccine”: Broadway Struggles With How It Can Reopen

With its tightly packed theaters and exorbitant ticket prices, the industry is unsure when, how, and which shows will return.

https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/05/broadway-struggles-with-how-it-can-reopen

Updated On: 5/24/20 at 02:26 PM

[blaxx]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 2:41pm

“There are two types of [ticket] buyers; Wicked and The Lion King have functionally zero local audience at this point, and are at a different risk than new shows,” they said. “So even though Wicked is a billion-dollar property, they might be in a tougher position than something like Jagged Little Pill, which a lot of New Yorkers hadn’t gotten the chance to see.”

Yup, no tourists, no bueno. I wonder if the bigger hits will actually risk a comeback or just decide to take the loss and close shop.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 3:10pm

I think there are more people anxious to get about returning to some sort of normalcy than there are people anxious about being in public.

At this point it will all be about the travel restrictions. I think tourism will stay up again almost immediately, but it'd will take awhile to return tho normal. Those bigger shows may struggle, but I'm sure they will try to hang on.

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 3:53pm

Let's not forget the news from yesterday- surface transmission much less a risk than previously thought- and make cut the risk down to 75 per cent if you wear one- and with temperature checks at the door- I would definitely see a show when the time is right- and go on an airplane if it seems safe- I bet Spring 2021 will see the opening of many shows- vaccine or not.

[ErikJ972]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 4:18pm

Considering asymptomatic spread temp checks seem pretty useless.

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 4:28pm

BWAY Baby2 said: "Let's not forget the news from yesterday- surface transmission much less a risk than previously thought- and make cut the risk down to 75 per cent if you wear one- and with temperature checks at the door- I would definitely see a show when the time is right- and go on an airplane if it seems safe- I bet Spring 2021 will see the opening of many shows- vaccine or not."

Do you really think they'd do temperature checks at the door? What if people come in with a group and one of them has a high temperature? What happens to that group? What happens to the money they spent getting there? Do you think people would risk it? Is that really a viable option?

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 4:43pm

We are already seeing air travel start to pick up again so I do think some will take the risk of being tourists again while others will choose not to. I know it's still going to be awhile but I really doubt they will wait until there's a vaccine unless the vaccine arrives by the end of the year or early next year.

[joevitus]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 4:57pm

I think "wait until there's a vaccine" is an intelligent position--not that VF's headline posed it intelligently--but it's anyone's guess what people will actually do, and thus what Broadway can actually risk.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 6:35pm

ErikJ972 said: "Considering asymptomatic spread temp checks seem pretty useless."

Yeah, but if they use rectal thermometers, that might sell a few tickets...

Just trying to be helpful here.

[blm2323]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 8:32pm

joevitus said: "I think "wait until there's a vaccine" is an intelligent position--not that VF's headline posed it intelligently--but it's anyone's guess what people will actually do, and thus what Broadway can actually risk."

There may NEVER be a vaccine. We have many viruses without them. 
 

I hope they don’t wait for one. A greater grasp on what we’re dealing with and go from there? Yes. 

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 9:10pm

BWAY Baby2 said: "Let's not forget the news from yesterday- surface transmission much less a risk than previously thought- and make cut the risk down to 75 per cent if you wear one- and with temperature checks at the door- I would definitely see a show when the time is right- and go on an airplane if it seems safe- I bet Spring 2021 will see the opening of many shows- vaccine or not."

Do you really think they'd do temperature checks at the door? What if people come in with a group and one of them has a high temperature? What happens to that group? What happens to the money they spent getting there? Do you think people would risk it? Is that really a viable option?

Good point- maybe no temperature checks at the door- but if wearing a mask is a viable protection- HUGH here I come. 

[Fosse76]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 9:50pm

ErikJ972 said: "Considering asymptomatic spread temp checks seem pretty useless."

They also aren't accurate. 

[VotePeron]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 10:47pm

Universal Studios opens in June 5, Disney most likely on June 15 - things are gonna turn around real quick, whether we're ready or not. Trump's America is tired as hell of being stuck indoors and they're clamoring to escape. They certainly won't be attending the theatuh anytime soon, but I do believe most of America will be back up and running, purely due to public demand, faster than we anticipated or may be ready for.

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 10:51pm

Broadway can re-open as soon as we get out of the paradigm we are in, which is now either:

A. Oh you want things to re-open? I see. I guess you want people to die for capitalism. 

B. Oh you want things to stay closed?  I see. I guess you want to destroy our economy and my livelihood. 

Since those two sides are never going to agree, we need to somehow move past that roadblock. I hope that movie theaters are re-opened this summer, at first with some drastic capacity limit. And at some point later in the year we can see that if everyone wears a mask, doesn't touch multiple surfaces, stays home if they're sick, we can cram ourselves into our beloved Broadway houses again. 

This situation is starting to remind me more and more of post 9/11, where we kept saying that life will NEVER be the same. And we did have to get through 2-3 years of New York City without its go-go-crazy energy. Of course it's different too since Broadway came back in just two days, but they did have to do all sorts of union negotiating and long-runners did shut down--you could even put Les Miz in that group even though it took almost 2 years for them to finally give up on it. 

We should also remember that one of the most common, ubiquitous, inescapable elements of going to a Broadway show was LOUD COUGHERS. Not trying to exaggerate, but generally you probably couldn't count to ten in between at least one person coughing in a typical Broadway house. And did they stifle it?  Did they at least try and make it sound like they're coughing into their elbow? NOOOOOOOO.  Did they let that cough rip out? Phlegm and mucus and lungs and all?  You bet. And we all just quivered in our seat for a second, rolled our eyes, and tried to focus on the show. What on earth are those coughers going to do now? Could you imagine if they reopened Broadway and somebody behind you coughed?  You'd probably race out of there and hook yourself up to one of Trump's bleach IVs. 

I have always been a bit of a germaphobe and I always had a habit of washing my hands anytime I walked past a restroom/bathroom and I avoid touching the rails on escalators and I cover door handles with my shirt even if I'm in a short sleeve shirt. So personally I welcome the rest of the world acting as neurotic as I always have been about germs.  Masks?  ugh I'm not a fan but if it's the choice between wearing a mask and attending a Broadway show---mask me the hell up. 

[itsjustmejonhotmailcom]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 11:33pm

hearthemsing22 said: "BWAY Baby2 said: "Let's not forget the news from yesterday- surface transmission much less a risk than previously thought- and make cut the risk down to 75 per cent if you wear one- and with temperature checks at the door- I would definitely see a show when the time is right- and go on an airplane if it seems safe- I bet Spring 2021 will see the opening of many shows- vaccine or not."

Do you really think they'd do temperature checks at the door? What if people come in with a group and one of them has a high temperature? What happens to that group? What happens to the money they spent getting there? Do you think people would risk it? Is that really a viable option?"

That seems like a simple thing to do, and theme parks and malls are doing it and they get way more visitors than a Broadway theater. Temperature checks will do little to prevent the spread of Covid, but just like a cursory check of a bag doesn't do much to prevent someone bringing a weapon in a theater, it will make people feel safer.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 11:47pm

One thing I'm not sure has been discussed is with Florida seeming to just say "F it, lets open", there's a LOT of theaters down there that could potentially reopen within the next couple of weeks. Will tours start up again? Will smaller productions come together and play? Or will they just start with concerts? There's a lot of unknowns with that that will probably be known in just a couple weeks.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/22/20 at 11:49pm

Oh man, Phantom4ever is right about coughers. The last show I saw was Hairspray at the Sinatra performing arts HS in Astoria. I don't remember the date, but I do remember they canceled the run the next weekend, so it was pretty close to when Broadway shut down. I brought extra Ricolas with me just in case I happened to cough for ANY reason. I didn't need to give anyone else any additional paranoia during a time when everyone was already starting to be on edge.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 5/23/20 at 2:18am

Jordan Catalano said: "One thing I'm not sure has been discussed is with Florida seeming to just say "F it, lets open", there's a LOT of theaters down there that could potentially reopen within the next couple of weeks. Will tours start up again? Will smaller productions come together and play? Or will they just start with concerts? There's a lot of unknowns with that that will probably be known in just a couple weeks."

I live in Sarasota, and subscribe to two local theatre companies. In addition, I attend a lot of performances at our touring theatre, which plays a lot of touring shows, acts like Tony Bennett, old rock groups, 'homage' shows, Boston Pops, you get the idea.

I recently turned 70.  What I like about attending the theatre in SRQ is that I sometimes feel like a youngster, with the average age probably being 75 - 80.  I have already pid for my subscriptions to both local theatre companies, although -- as time goes by -- I am beginning to think that I will probably not see anything until there is a vaccine or prophylactic medication.  I honestly expect those theatres -- assuming they do not cancel their seasons -- to be pretty empty if they do open, but I could be surprised.  Sarasota County voted 60% for the a**-hole in the White House, which does make me question whether my assumptions are actually really wrong.  Will be very interesting to see.

[DrewJoseph]

Posted: 5/23/20 at 4:43am

Another big question is cast and crew. They can’t social distance or wear masks. Will they be doing intimate scenes, how will the ensemble dance with each other, quick changes?

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/23/20 at 8:03am

@DrewJoseph these are all good questions and the answers will preclude many/most shows even if they can overcome the severe limitation on capacity. 

The subject at hand seems to be shifting. The article was about Broadway, which is unique for a variety of reasons. Now we are talking about Florida but it is not clear exactly what we are talking about. Tours present their own share of issues. (A tour cannot be organized "in the next couple of weeks," and by definition would need not just one stop but a bunch, and this is a matter of months (and not just a couple) not weeks. Of course any show, tour or not, has the other minor impediment of rehearsal.) Then there is the question of Equity/Non-Equity, the former being a major roadblock. Which leaves us with the possibility, at some point this year, of a local or regional theatre doing something, which will depend on, among other things, how nuts they are, how such a plan will collide with the almost inevitable second wave (or first wave spike?), a marketing plan that has more than a snowball's chance in Hialeah in August of success, etc. My bottom line: don't hold your breath for anything that looks like real theatre.

[kdogg36]

Posted: 5/23/20 at 8:37am

Phantom4ever said: "Could you imagine if they reopened Broadway and somebody behind you coughed? You'd probably race out of there and hook yourself up to one of Trump's bleach IVs."

People are going to have to get over this, because humans often have to cough for various reasons that present no threat to others. Yesterday I was standing in line to get into a grocery store, and the man behind me coughed a number of times, and I was entirely unbothered.

[quizking101]

Posted: 5/23/20 at 8:42am

I can almost guarantee that HAMILTON will be back, and that the prices will probably drop considerably (maybe not accessibly) to get people back.

This is a show that once maxed out at $1,100 premium tickets during a peak holiday season. Nobody can suggest the producers don’t have deep enough pockets to withstand a shutdown when they know they will have a viable products for years, if not decades to come.

[kdogg36]

Posted: 5/23/20 at 8:42am

itsjustmejonhotmailcom said: “Temperature checks will do little to prevent the spread of Covid, but just like a cursory check of a bag doesn't do much to prevent someone bringing a weaponin a theater, it will make people feel safer."

If the false positive rate is not essentially zero, and if the penalty for a high reading is refusal to have my ticket honored, then temperature checks would effectively preclude me from spending many hundreds of dollars on a theater trip to NYC. 

[JennH]

Posted: 5/23/20 at 9:05am

blm2323 said: "joevitus said: "I think "wait until there's a vaccine" is an intelligent position--not that VF's headline posed it intelligently--but it's anyone's guess what people will actually do, and thus what Broadway can actually risk."

There may NEVER be a vaccine. We have many viruses without them.


I hope they don’t wait for one. A greater grasp on what we’re dealing with and go from there? Yes."

This. A vaccine would be the best scenario, and there was a very promising candidate for one that was reported recently, arguably the most promising one yet, but of course as science goes, it needs more levels of tests and trials. And that's if all goes well with it. And even if we do get one at all, it will still likely be a while anyway, regardless of Operation Warp Speed. Science can only work so fast. I'd rather we figure out to live with it at this point, but there lies the very problem...the closures were to buy time to do just that, but our 'leader' and many others just don't see it that way. Certain states are just opening everything, or most everything, willy nilly without much thought to consequences. 

"Broadway can re-open as soon as we get out of the paradigm we are in, which is now either:

A. Oh you want things to re-open? I see. I guess you want people to die for capitalism. 

B. Oh you want things to stay closed?  I see. I guess you want to destroy our economy and my livelihood."

Yes, they won't agree because they're both right. So there was nothing to agree on in the first place. I already wrote a long schpiel in another thread about why this is, and I won't go into it here, but needless to say that paradigm is what happens when the nation was so woefully unprepared for this, ignored warnings from even last fall, and STILL refused to do anything TO prepare. 

As for temp checks? People that are asymptomatic is a thing...also, if this is done in summer, people are going to be warm anyway so there's that. (Obviously no Broadway this summer, but you get the point), and aside from my thoughts on how invasive that would be and a slippery slope to other civil issues (some employers are already planning this for when they return and I'm NOT a fan...the Navy Yard is thinking of one of those things you strap to your ankle or waist to keep you far from others. Yeah, NO), there better be a contingent plan in place for if someone DID have to be turned away because of a high temp in terms of a refund or exchange. Along with coughing, people also have a high temp for other reason too. While humans did need to step up their hygiene game overall and this chaos seems to have been a catalyst for that, people who are bothered by every cough and sneeze are taking this a bit too far. Clean your home moderately often and well, wash your hands, touch your face as little as possible (I'm sorry, to not do it all is literally impossible from a psych perspective), etc. Take good precautions yes, but good grief don't get bent out of shape by the guy behind you in the grocery line who coughed a bit. I know this was an off topic tangent, but a better use of our time is how to prep for that inevitable second wave. 

[AC126748]

Posted: 5/23/20 at 9:57am

The pandemic, while grim, is also a unique opportunity for Broadway to look inward. “All of this is daunting, but it presents opportunities too,” said the industry veteran. “[We can] broaden our audiences for all shows by using more affordable ticket prices and a shift in marketing strategy to make audiences for whom theatergoing isn’t a regular habit feel welcome coming to Broadway.”

What does that actually mean in practice? It’ll likely yield a Broadway with fewer brands, more plays, quicker turnover of shows, and yes, maybe even more affordable tickets.

This sounds a lot like the West End, and the model seems to work over there. That said, they have a system of subsidization that we don't in the U.S.