With arts, entertainment, and recreation considered as non-essential, the Broadway industry has closed its curtains indefinitely, especially with New York City being the hotbed of the coronavirus disease.

 

When Will Broadway Reopen?

 

Broadway can resume their operation when these three things happen:

 

Decrease in hospital admissions, fewer ICU patients, and decreased percentage of people who will be positive of the virus. With these three things in tow, the near future seems grim for the Broadway industry.

 

As of the moment, the Broadway League has announced that they won’t be conducting any performances until at least after Labor Day, which is on September 7, 2020.

According to the league’s president, Charlotte St. Martin, they are not expecting the curtains to open before that period unless there will be a magic bullet or a new development in science that can make them change their minds.

 

Unlike restaurants and concert halls that can resume operating in a reduced capacity, St. Martin said that this is not financially feasible for Broadway theaters. She added that the financial model won’t work and that the margins are thin.

 

Unlike other Broadway shows who are just taking a pause, some have already closed their curtains permanently. The most recent is Disney’s Frozen the Musical, which is considered the most significant theatrical loss so far at 30 million dollars.

 

Aside from Disney’s Frozen, Martin McDonagh’s “Hangmen” and Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” also decided to close. On the other hand, Plaza Suite starring Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker is hoping to welcome back fans by 2021. Rest assured, the Broadway League is working hand in hand with theatrical unions, the government, and health experts to devise a safe return.

 

Some of the measures seen include mandatory wearing of masks, temperature checks, frequent cleaning of theaters, contact less service, and rapid COVID testing of performers before the event.

 

The Future of Entertainment

 

Other entertainment venues are seen to open sooner compared to Broadway. The new normal will include drive-in movies, mosh free concerts, and open-air circuses.

 

For live music, there will be strict enforcement of social distancing and wearing face masks. Moshing and crowd surfing will be strictly prohibited. Guests might have different arrival times to prevent crowds.

There will also be routine temperature checks and health screenings. There is also a possibility that it will be an instrument-only concert after rehearsals of the Washington state choir became a “super spreader.”

 

The MET Museum is hoping to open with reduced capacity by 2021, and circuses might become a bunch of outdoor experiences. In Astoria, Queens, Bel-Aire Diner has successfully put up a pop-up drive-in theater in their parking lot.

 

With so much uncertainty at the moment, the best that the entertainment industry can do is to devise creative ways to work around with the new normal. In time, we hope to see the arts and original scene open their curtains again and allow us to enjoy the pleasure of watching their beautiful performances.

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