Broadway Goes Dark Amid Coronavirus Concerns

The closure is effective at 5 PM tonight, and will last through April 12.

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BY PLAYBILL STAFF
MAR 12, 2020

Broadway theatres will go dark beginning 5 PM, March 12, by order of Governor Andrew Cuomo. Performances will resume the week of April 13.

The announcement comes as venues and performing arts organizations around New York City and the country have announced closures of their own amid rising concerns about the global coronavirus pandemic.

“Our top priority has been and will continue to be the health and well-being of Broadway theatregoers and the thousands of people who work in the theatre industry every day, including actors, musicians, stagehands, ushers, and many other dedicated professionals,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League, in a statement. “Broadway has the power to inspire, enrich and entertain, and together we are committed to making that vital spirit a reality. Once our stages are lit again, we will welcome fans back with open arms so that they can continue to experience the joy, heart, and goodwill that our shows so passionately express every night.”

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in a press conference that no gatherings of more than 500 people will be allowed, excepting schools, hospitals, mass transit, and nursing homes. That ban will be effective beginning 5 PM, March 13. For gatherings under 500, the seating capacity will be cut in half.

Ticketholders should contact their point of purchase regarding refunds or exchanges. No word yet on when the theatres will resume operations. SIX, the musical reimagining of Henry VIII's wives, was set to open tonight, while Lincoln Center Theatre's Flying Over Sunset was to have played its first preview. Revivals of Caroline, or Change and Plaza Suite were to have begun previews March 13, while A Soldier's Play and The Inheritance had been scheduled to play their final performances March 15.

This is the first time Broadway theatres will go dark for a prolonged period since the stagehand strike of 2007, when theatres were shuttered for 19 days.

https://www.playbill.com/article/bro...virus-concerns

I was hit hard. I had tickets for five shows next weekend and I am really disappointed. But I can't complain too much. I know there are many people who have much more important things to deal with during this time.

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Originally Posted by reese

I was hit hard. I had tickets for five shows next weekend and I am really disappointed. But I can't complain too much. I know there are many people who have much more important things to deal with during this time.

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Wow five shows. That would have been a great weekend. I had tickets for the final performance of A SOLDIERS PLAY for this Sunday. In a way, I am relieved. I was getting anxiety about sitting in a theatre while all this is going on. Thankfully, there are refunds, but there is no chance to see the play since this was the last performance. I'll watch the movie on Amazon Prime Sunday. Not the same, but it is what it is.

Can you reschedule that great weekend? I have people coming in May and we will have one of those four or five show weekends. Hopefully, things will be better by then

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Originally Posted by milven

Wow five shows. That would have been a great weekend. I had tickets for the final performance of A SOLDIERS PLAY for this Sunday. In a way, I am relieved. I was getting anxiety about sitting in a theatre while all this is going on. Thankfully, there are refunds, but there is no chance to see the play since this was the last performance. I'll watch the movie on Amazon Prime Sunday. Not the same, but it is what it is.

Can you reschedule that great weekend? I have people coming in May and we will have one of those four or five show weekends. Hopefully, things will be better by then

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It is a relief in a way. When things started heating up yesterday, I thought there might be cancellations. But I didn't want to be put in the position of making the decision for myself as to whether or not to go to NYC. If I had gone, gotten sick, and then brought it back to my family and colleagues, the guilt wouldn't be worth it.

I will reschedule at some point. At the moment, I'm waiting to see if Dionne Warwick's concert is cancelled or just postponed. And one show [[THE HOT WING KING) won't be running any longer, as I was actually slated to catch its last performance.

Things are changing by the minute. Right now they are not allowing more than 500 people into the venues. That is why all Broadway shows are cancelled.

The Beacon seats about 3000. If all the seats were sold, it would not be allowed to play. At least that is how I understand the rules, which are changing by the minute.

https://www1.ticketmaster.com/dionne...0056E999C30F02

Dionne's show is far from sold out but I have no idea how many tickets were sold. Even before yesterday's big announcement, I thought her show might be cancelled or postponed because there were so many seats available. I actually bought a ticket to another show just in case Dionne's fell through. Just yesterday morning, I received an email advertising upcoming MSG shows and they were offering a 25% discount on some Dionne tickets. So I know they were trying to fill the house.

I don't know if it matters the # of tickets sold or just the size of the venue. At any rate, I wouldn't be surprised if Dionne's show was cancelled or postponed given the circumstances. It is just a big disappointment as the current date was already a postponement from last August.