US

Broadway shows to return in September, says governor

Tickets to go on sale Thursday and theatres allowed to operate at 100 per cent capacity

‘Broadway is a major part of our state’s identity and economy, and we are thrilled that the curtains will rise again,’ said New York governor Andrew Cuomo. File photograph: iStock

Wed May 5 2021 - 20:13

Live Broadway shows will return to the stage on September 14th after an 18-month hiatus to fight the coronavirus pandemic, New York governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday.

Tickets will go on sale starting on Thursday and theatres will be allowed to fill 100 per cent of capacity, Cuomo said. Broadway theatres are among New York’s biggest tourist attractions.

“Broadway is a major part of our state’s identity and economy, and we are thrilled that the curtains will rise again,” Cuomo said on Twitter.

Live theatre is one of the last sectors to come reopen in the US because of the challenges of social distancing for actors on stage, for crews backstage and for audiences in cramped seating in old buildings.

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Thousands of actors, dancers, musicians and backstage crew lost their jobs when Broadway theatres closed in March 2020. Some shows, including the hit musicals Frozen and Mean Girls have said they will not return.

Thirty-one Broadway shows were in production when the shutdown began.

Each returning show will announce its reopening date in the coming weeks, said industry group the Broadway League.

More than 14.8 million tickets were sold for Broadway shows in the 2018-2019 season that ended in May, bringing $1.8 billion (€1.5 billion) in box office receipts, according to the Broadway League. Some 63 per cent of those going to shows were tourists, from outside the US or outside New York. – Reuters

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