Broadway Stays Positive After News That Theaters Will Remain Closed Through 2020
Since the shuttering of New York's beloved Theater District in mid March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many Broadway fans have been hoping for a re-opening in fall or early winter. Sadly those hopes were not realized when, on Monday, the Broadway League announced that the theaters will remain closed through the rest of the year and possible into early 2021.
Theater owners and producers will refund or exchange tickets previously purchased for shows through January 3. In a statement, the League said it could not specify exactly when shows will reopen. “Returning productions are currently projected to resume performances over a series of rolling dates in early 2021."
Some are even announcing dates further in the future: Roundabout Company recently said its highly-anticipated production of Birthday Candles, starring Debra Messing, would be pushed back until fall 2021. The Broadway League said in their statement that tickets for fall 2021 performances will go on sale in the coming weeks.
Among the Broadway community, reaction to the extended closure was supportive, if sorrowful. Some, like Jeremy Jordon, who has starred in Newsies and Waitress, tweeted that they were not surprised at the League's decision, and were determined to come back better than ever.
Thanks for all the lovely words of encouragement for us in the Broadway/theatre community... I mean, honestly, we've pretty much all guessed we were gonna be done until 2021 for a while now, but doesn't make the official news any less sucky. We'll be back and it will be grand.
— Jeremy Jordan (@JeremyMJordan) June 30, 2020
"It’s obviously difficult to realize that the road in front of us is longer than the road behind us. At the same time, nobody wants to sacrifice safety in the name of expediency," Molly Barnett, co-founder of Grapevine Public Relations, which has worked with Dear Evan Hanson and Jessica Vosk, of Wicked, tells T&C. "The good news is that the theater community has been wildly resourceful at using digital mediums to reach audiences during this period, and many of our clients are staying busy by devoting themselves to these new creative outlets."
Tony nominee Chad Kimball, of Lennon, Memphis, and Into the Woods, took to his roof to sing, appropriately, from Fiddler on the Roof, looking for happier days ahead.
My brother thought it would be apropos - given the sad news about our beloved #broadway - that I do some Fiddling while on this Roof. I’ve no fiddle though...so I’ll hum... “Sunrise, sunset,
Swiftly fly the years,
One season following another,
Laiden with happiness,
And tears”❤️ pic.twitter.com/N79pTUTCgu— Chad Kimball (@chadkimball1) June 30, 2020
Megan Hilty, another Tony nominee who has starred in Wicked and 9 to 5: The Musical, also said this break serves as a time to reflect and improve Broadway's diversity.
If there’s one silver lining to Broadway being closed until 2021, let it be that we can use this time to create a more inclusive and equitable space for the black actors, directors, producers, designers & stage managers in our theater community. Keep pushing forward. ❤️
— Megan Hilty (@meganhilty) June 29, 2020
Others echoed that they are committed to producing new virtual content to keep fans engaged in the meantime. "We are staying surprisingly busy. There are shows being written, shows planning on coming back, and tons of theatrical content to promote right now. That said, it’s quite a long haul to 2021. Until then, we are working from home, staying safe, and trying to keep the (business) lights on — until the lights return to Broadway," Rick Martinez, president of DKC/O&M, says. The agency has worked with Broadway’s most noteworthy shows including the recent productions of West Side Story, Diana, The Lehman Trilogy, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and To Kill a Mockingbird.
While there's no comparison to the simple pleasure of dinner and a show, for now, there is still a wealth of musicals, shows, and performances online. And when the Great White Way finally reopens, many feel confident the city will come rushing in. "Broadway is such a vital part of our culture, and I can’t wait for the energy that first night back in the theater," Barnett says.
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