Broadway shutdown extended through January 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic
The show won't go on until (at least) January 2021.
On Monday, the Broadway League announced that Broadway performances in New York City will be suspended through the remainder of 2020 due to COVID-19. Theaters have been dark since March 12, with performances initially scheduled to resume on April 13, then June 7, and then Labor Day. Now, shows will be officially suspended through Jan. 3, 2021.
"The Broadway experience can be deeply personal but it is also, crucially, communal," Thomas Schumacher, Chairman of the Board of The Broadway League, said in a statement. "The alchemy of 1000 strangers bonding into a single audience fueling each performer on stage and behind the scenes will be possible again when Broadway theaters can safely host full houses. Every single member of our community is eager to get back to work sharing stories that inspire our audience through the transformative power of a shared live experience. The safety of our cast, crew, orchestra and audience is our highest priority and we look forward to returning to our stages only when it’s safe to do so. One thing is for sure, when we return we will be stronger and more needed than ever.”
When Broadway performances were suspended in March, 31 productions were running, including eight new shows in previews. Additionally, eight productions were in rehearsals preparing to open in the spring. The musical Six was due to open March 12, while a revival of the play Take Me Out had a scheduled opening date of April 23. A number of productions have already announced closures or postponements, with Martin McDonagh's Hangmen and a Laurie-Metcalf led production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? announcing they would not reopen when the shutdown ends. Other shows, including Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster's revival of The Music Man and plays like The Minutes and American Buffalo, have since postponed their opening dates to the spring.
Returning productions are currently projected to resume performances over a series of rolling dates in early 2021 with tickets for performances for next winter and spring expected to go on sale in the coming weeks. Theaters are offering refunds and exchanges for tickets purchased for all performances through Jan. 3.
For the latest information on coronavirus (COVID-19), including how to protect yourself and what to do if you think you are sick, please visit coronavirus.gov.
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