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As New York State continues to ease pandemic restrictions, cultural spaces are coming back to life. New York theaters were able to open their doors with reduced capacity on March 5. The Arts and Entertainment Rooms can welcome participants again on April 2, with a maximum of 100 people inside.
While the news is a welcome relief for many, it still leaves a looming question as to when Broadway, an industry central to the city’s cultural identity and economic vitality, can restart.
Shows are canceled until May 30 of this year, but few theater professionals expect a return in the spring or summer. Instead, they envision fall and winter as a more opportune time to revive an industry that came to a standstill almost a year ago. A highly anticipated production, a cover of “The Music Man” with Hugh Jackman, has set the opening date for February 10, 2022.
Broadway shows are canceled until May 30 of this year, but few theater professionals expect a return in the spring or summer. (AP Photo / Mary Altaffer)
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Producers and creators have said they can’t wait to return. “I can’t let this pandemic end a 35-year legacy,” said Andrew Lloyd Webber, the famous songwriter behind “The Phantom of the Opera,” referring to the show’s record-breaking series, which debuted in 1986 in London’s West End. and in 1988 on Broadway.
Getting back to the movies isn’t that simple, given that Broadway’s financial model only works when shows have the capacity to play at full capacity, according to theater professionals. This is because of production costs which can easily exceed $ 15 million for a musical, as well as operating expenses, such as actor and crew salaries and theater rental, which can add up to. hundreds of thousands of dollars a week.
In contrast, cinemas and other venues can manage better financially with reduced capacity, allowing them to work under new state guidelines.
Broadway theaters may soon open under guidelines, which increase maximum capacity to 150 with proof of a negative Covid-19 test required of all attendees. And it’s slated to use theaters on Broadway in the coming weeks as part of the NY PopsUp series of events designed to bring culture back to New Yorkers’ lives.
Pop-up shows, however, shouldn’t be full-scale Broadway shows. And state officials have not given a timeline for the increased capacity to make a night on Broadway a reality. “We will continue to work closely with industry to safely increase capacity limits when public health conditions permit,” a state spokesperson said.
Getting back to the movies isn’t that simple, given that Broadway’s financial model only works when shows have the capacity to play at full capacity, according to theater professionals. (AP Photo / Charles Sykes, file)
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The theater industry is also weighing on when viewers will feel safe returning, even if the green light is given by the state. It’s an issue that goes beyond Broadway and affects sports venues, which New York State has also allowed to reopen with limited capacity, and other performance spaces. But Broadway theaters, some of which are over a century old, are known to be cramped in a way that defies any notion of social distancing.
Broadway officials said they were aware of the problem. Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League Industry Business Group, said there are many security protocols being considered for Broadway’s return, ranging from modifying air conditioning systems to reducing points of contact between spectators and theater staff.
Programs can be picked up by members of the public themselves, for example, rather than being distributed by bailiffs. “We can stack them at the end of the aisles,” said Ms. St. Martin.
Other stumbling blocks could delay the reopening of Broadway. While some producers would like to open the doors as soon as they can, they said they need to make sure they have a good sale in advance, which doesn’t happen overnight.
“In my dream world, I wish I had six months” to sell tickets, said Chris Harper, one of the producers of a “Company” cover, which was due to open in March. Instead, Mr. Harper has said he should probably be working on a tighter schedule, but he promises to open production anyway.
As popular as longtime musicals such as “Phantom”, “Wicked” and “The Lion King” have been, some in the industry have noted that these shows are heavily dependent on an out-of-town audience. . (iStock)
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There is also the question of whether some lounges will be in a better position to open earlier than others. As popular as longtime musicals such as “Phantom”, “Wicked” and “The Lion King” have been, some in the industry have noted that these shows are heavily dependent on an out-of-town audience. .
This could pose a challenge for them given that tourism is not expected to pick up for some time in the city. And that could leave more room for new shows or ones that appeal to a New York City crowd with knowledge of theater, industry professionals have said.
One-act shows may have a particular appeal for theatergoers, as an intermission almost guarantees more interaction between audience members when they line up for the bathroom or at the lobby bar.
“They don’t have to think about mingling for 20 minutes,” said Kevin McCollum, a veteran producer who is on the team behind “Six,” a highly anticipated one-act musical that is set to open with the return of. Broadway.
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