Washington Post on Broadway's Return — Page 2

Sutton Ross said: "In talking to a Lincoln Center rep, they said Flying Over Sunset tickets will be going on sale "in a few weeks". So, hopefully that is correct. It's a brand new musical opening up after 18 months of Broadway being dark, so I really, really hope it succeeds despite no one being familiar with it."

Thanks for sharing, Sutton! I’m keeping a few spots open for it before buying anything else and can extend my trip earlier/later, if needed. So I’ll just continue to be patient!

BroadwayRox3588, feel free to take a little credit for this.

I will see my first live performance since seeing Gatz in February 2020 not with a play or musical but with a performance by Eva Noblezada, who will be in San Francisco in a couple of weeks at the Feinstein's at the Nikko nightclub for four performances before she heads back to resume her role in Hadestown on Broadway.

I'll catch my first play, Song of Summer, shortly thereafter at the San Francisco Playhouse, a small regional theater.

What do these venues have in common? Proof of vaccination requirements. The SF Playhouse is still requiring masks and won't fill all the seats, at least for now. Feinstein's at the Nikko won't require masks but won't fill all their seats either. (This may partially explain the fairly high price - $85.) Even in the very vaccinated San Francisco Bay Area, I just feel like I will have more fun going to shows where I won't be thinking - in the back of my mind - that I'm taking an unnecessary risk. The feelings of family members factor into it as well.

As I said, that's just me. I have been more cautious about the virus and less trusting of government agencies' guidance than the average person. That may just make me paranoid, but it's just the best decision for me at this time. I know well that the coronavirus and its variants aren't going to vanish, and other people will happily return to packed houses even if there aren't proof of vaccination requirements because they're fully vaccinated. I envy you folks.

It's going to be a strange season. I will make entertainment decisions, for now, based not just on the shows that interest me but also on the rules adopted by theaters and enforced by government agencies.

I am torn between a desire to see live performances and that skittish feeling I have about packed theaters with unmasked audience members who have an unknown vaccination status.

As I said before, I don't think I am the only theatergoer/typical New York City tourist who feels this way. And that may bode ill for Broadway, which is opening up an awful lot of shows this fall.

@bear88 Although I am personally more comfortable, you are nowhere near alone. I think that what you may find from dipping your toes in the water is that you become more comfortable. Or not. Plus, as Delta variant numbers continue to rise and parts of the country have another wave that could be worse than the one we just had, I expect we will see more vax required for entry.

Well, maybe I won’t be catching my first play in a few weeks after all. One of our San Francisco nonprofit theaters had a Proof of Vaccination policy for its first play, a one-person performance, but they’re dropping it for the next one, apparently because the city isn’t requiring it. Masks are still required, though, as well as empty seats between each group. See update below.

Nobody should care about my little problems, as we all have different levels of risk tolerance, but I am genuinely disappointed - in part because I like the theater and many of its shows and also because small theater companies need all the help they can get. And I do miss live theater.

Part of my problem is not with theaters but with the irritating refusal to require something simple like this. I understand why, and the sort of person who is going to attend a play in San Francisco - one of the most vaccinated cities in America - is exactly the sort of person who will probably be fully vaccinated. But it just leaves me more inclined to stay home unless the venue, like the one hosting Eva Noblezada’s concerts, requires vaccination proof.

Broadway has its own commercial needs and must draw bigger crowds, but I’m not sure they would lose that many people if they required proof. And they would gain others.

But what do I know?

July 17 Update: The San Francisco Playhouse has changed its policy again and will require proof of vaccination. I got a call this afternoon (Saturday). This may be due to revised recommendations from the San Francisco health department along with several other Bay Area counties on Friday afternoon. Or I suppose it’s possible I was given bad information earlier this week. Regardless, I gave my positive feedback about the requirement.

There’s no guarantee about anything and I understand that. (I learned yesterday of a fully vaccinated young adult I know who tested positive.) The likelihood of getting Covid seems higher, even if fully vaccinated people seem better off when it comes to avoiding serious illness.

Updated On: 7/17/21 at 09:16 PM

(Duplicate post)

Updated On: 7/15/21 at 09:44 PM

"I do miss seeing a good show though but in browsing some of the new shows that are opening I can't say I find anything that is interesting enough to make me want to go this year."

I would like to see "Six" and "Flying Over Sunset" if I can make it to NYC in 2021. In 2022, I think "Sing Street" might be something I would enjoy.