Broadway Will Not Reopen This Year
The entertainment industry continues to feel the harsh effects of the closures brought about by the global coronavirus pandemic. For instance, fans of Broadway shows will have to wait a little longer as the Great White Way will continue to stay closed for the foreseeable future.
Variety reports that the Broadway League has announced that Broadway theaters will be closed until the end of the year. The shutdown began on Mar. 12, with this latest announcement being the fourth extension and now the longest time that theaters in the famed location have been closed.
Thomas Schumacher, Broadway League board chairman, said in a statement that the decision was made because they held the health and safety of their orchestra, cast, and crew as their highest priority. Schumacher also reiterated that Broadway will only reopen once it is safe to do so.
The Broadway League also announced that tickets purchased for shows until Jan. 3 will be refunded by theater owners. They also warned that some shows may not even return next year.
As pointed out by NPR, there were already 31 shows running when Broadway announced its closure in March. Four shows have since permanently closed. These include the musicals Frozen and Bettlejuice, a Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Revival, and Hangmen by Martin McDonagh.
Broadway’s continued closure is a huge economic hit to the city of New York as well, as the Great White Way brings in $14.7 billion to the city’s economy. Broadway also provides 97,000 jobs. Broadway is also the attraction that draws in almost 15 million visitors to New York City.
The film side of the entertainment industry has also had to constantly adjust as the global coronavirus pandemic does not look like it will be slowing down any time soon. For instance, Disney’s Mulan has had to once again move its release date to Aug. 21. This is the third time the film has been rescheduled. It was originally intended to premiere on Mar. 27.
Whether Broadway will actually be able to open by next year is still an open question as the global coronavirus pandemic continues to spread across the world. The World Health Organization’s situation report for June 29 says there are now 10,021,401 confirmed COVID-19 cases globally. The number of people taken by the disease is now at 499,913 people.
Meanwhile, the June 29 update from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention puts the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States at 2,545,250 people. Deaths caused by COVID-19 are currently at 126,369 people.