Vanity Fair on Broadway's Reopening - "Not Until There's a F**king Vaccine"- Page 5

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 5:57pm

Things are getting back to normal- theme parks are opening- water parks are opening- beaches, even movie theaters have announced opening dates here in Atlanta. My hunch is that all seats will be sold- masks will be required- and people will sit in their assigned seat and not move around much. If things are not out of control health-wise during Fall- people will flock back to the theater- I think.  BWAY productions cannot make enough money to socially distance seats- but BWAY will be back, my opinion- this Spring and it might be less busy at first- though I bet MM is sold out for every performance. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 7:48pm

I would be pleased to see live theatre return in some form spring/summer 2021, but even if a vaccine is widely available by then, I don't see some pre-pandemic practices returning, which is fine by me.

The stage door, for one, has met its Waterloo. When crowded, tightly cramped spaces (especially for the shows appealing to younger people and those with big stars) combine with the toxicity and selfishness of the fans, it gets on my nerves- as well as many others'- quite easily. In the end, it's up to the actors if they want to continue this, but I hope virtual programs like Cameo (hopefully they will be free though) will be the way of the future for meeting theatre figures.

More organized entrances/exits and bathroom lines will also be something to watch post-vaccine. Intermissions, if plausible, could be extended, as could the times theatre doors open to the public for every performance. Temp checks, keeping some sort of distance, and perhaps mask wearing will likely be here to stay.

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 7:52pm

What are people’s obsessions with the stage door??? I mean, seriously. It’ll go back to the way it always was once there’s a vaccine and people can be around other people. Why does this need to be brought up in every single thread regarding theaters having shows again?

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/28/20 at 9:04pm

If there is a vaccine that has been disseminated, or a truly effective treatment, then the whole point is that we will not be doing all of these things that, as I have said, will prevent Broadway from reopening. I would love if covid-19 ended sippy cups, cell phones, stage dooring, racism, and opposite side parking, but if the common cold has not accomplished this, why would the coronavirus?

[Lot666]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 3:50pm

David10086 said: "The magazine interview talks about long-running shows such as "Wicked', 'Lion King' and "Hamilton' but my question is about the longest running show: "Phantom". Where does this show play into all of this ? A survivor, or not ?"

I don't believe anything can be taken for granted at this point, but Andrew Lloyd Webber has publicly stated on more than one occasion that Phantom will return.

 

[Lot666]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 3:51pm

Luminaire2 said: "Did everyone see this image going around from a theatre in Berlin. The new future for a while.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=2624867451058068&set=a.1924395441105276"

This looks like theatre heaven to me. Virus or no virus, the idea of having the nearest stranger that far away is a dream come true!

[Fosse76]

Posted: 5/29/20 at 11:44pm

Lot666 said: "Luminaire2 said: "Did everyone see this image going around from a theatre in Berlin. The new future for a while.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=2624867451058068&set=a.1924395441105276"

This looks like theatre heaven to me. Virus or no virus, the idea of having the nearest stranger that far away is a dream come true!"

That's unnecessary.  The ticketing system can easily be set up to sell seats that are separated a certain number of seats apart.  Broadway theaters are small as it is,  where are the removed seats going to be stored. And that still wouldn't resolve the issues of social distancing in the theaters' lobby and restroom spaces. Broadway financials so not allow for any real limitations on the size of the audience. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/30/20 at 12:03am

Fosse76 said: "That's unnecessary. The ticketing system can easily be set up to sell seats that are separated a certain number of seats apart. Broadway theaters are small as it is, where are the removed seats going to be stored. And that still wouldn't resolve the issues of social distancing in the theaters' lobby and restroom spaces. Broadway financials so not allow for any real limitations on the size of the audience."

Unnecessary, yes, but it's a catchy picture that has gotten them a LOT of free publicity they otherwise have lost out on. If someone wanted the seats out of a Broadway house, they would take them out and pay to store them somewhere. The bottom line is n your last sentence: it is not gonna happen for financial reasons. All the other challenges you mention would be meet-able if money were no object.

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 5/30/20 at 3:34pm

Can you imagine the outrage if someone decides to move up to an empty seat as was so often done before all this?

Another job for the over-worked ushers.

Front of house will be a nightmare with security/medical staff/attendants and the urinals??[sounds like a visit from the aliens], they are not social-distance apart, so there goes that sly peek.

Oh for the good old days, of everything.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 5/30/20 at 6:26pm

SweetLips22 said: "Can you imagine the outrage if someone decides to move up to an empty seat as was so often done before all this?

Another job for the over-worked ushers.

Front of house will be a nightmare with security/medical staff/attendants and the urinals??[sounds like a visit from the aliens], they are not social-distance apart, so there goes that sly peek.

Oh for the good old days, of everything."

Agreed! In the beginning there will probably be less patrons which will help the front of house staff. Maybe there will be recorded reminders in the lobby along with signs. There probably will be more fighting between patrons. Most theaters had hired extra security before the shut down so perhaps they could involved with social distancing.

 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/30/20 at 7:22pm

There is not going to be Broadway with social distancing. Really, there's not. Patience. 

[SweetLips22]

Posted: 5/30/20 at 9:39pm

I agree with word 'patience', but not a virtue of many Americans.

Not Broadway, but....

Queueing at Bali immigration when 3 or 4 flights arrive at the same time will certainly go back to the min. 2 hrs. of standing. Inching forward, after a long flight with tired/cranky people waiting to be herded out into the unknown will not be pretty.

Think I will stay home in my semi-tropical 'back yard jungle' and pretend that I am in Bali without the hot & cold running house help.

I tried to show my 'jungle' as my avatar to give a sense of green freedom, but when shrunk to that size even Tazan would have difficulty finding a vine. Oh well, back to BigLips.

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 6/1/20 at 3:38pm

I think the theaters will try for some sort of social distancing in the beginning and the mayor, cdc and governor will be quite adamant about it as well as the unions. Whether it will work or not is another story. The only other option is to wait for a vaccine. But I think the powers that be will want to open the theaters sooner to boost the NY economy, get tourism back and get entertainment folks off of unemployment.

There was something in the news today about the Metropolitan Opera opening New Years Eve. It is probably not set in stone.

Updated On: 6/1/20 at 03:38 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 6/4/20 at 7:02pm

Yeah, I think it will be like that for at least a few months. I went to a hair salon yesterday and they took my temperature, required I wear a mask and made me fill out a quick questionnaire. Theater is going to be very uncomfortable with a lot of kinks to figure out at first, but as time goes on, I truly hope it can be what it once was.