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Broadway Believes "The Show Must Go On" Despite Coronavirus Spread
By
Ben Yakas
Published Mar 10, 2020
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Gretchen Robinette / Gothamist
By
Ben Yakas
Published Mar 10, 2020
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As the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to spread, more and more people are choosing to preemptively cancel or postpone events involving large gatherings of people. Pearl Jam postponed their tour, Coachella is likely being moved to October, movie studios have delayed the release of films, Boston has cancelled the St. Patrick's Day Parade, the Ivy League basketball tournament was cancelled, and there's lots more. (But don't worry, NYC's premiere sex party is still a-go as of now). One of the industries in NYC that is grappling with how to proceed is Broadway, which is faced with the question: does the risk of coronavirus spread outweigh the benefits of keeping The Great White Way open right now?
"We are believers in the 'show must go on,'" said Charlotte St. Martin, the president of Broadway League, the trade group representing theater owners and producers. "We have 60-65% of our audience [coming] from outside the tristate area and we don’t want to disappoint them. We are open for business and will continue until we are mandated by the city, state or federal government to shut down. Of course, when they do that they will be doing it for the safety of us all."
The Times Square Alliance released an almost identical statement as well, saying that staying open for now "makes sense not only for Broadway, but for Times Square as well." We reached out to Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo's offices for comment on whether any discussions have begun on that topic, and will update when we hear back.
In a statement earlier this week, Broadway League said that they were "closely monitoring the evolving coronavirus situation on behalf of the Broadway community." They offered some examples of changes they've already made, like "significantly" increasing the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting in all public and backstage areas, and adding sanitizer dispensers for public use in the lobby of every theater. And they've urged any theatergoers who aren't feeling well to stay home: "Anyone who is experiencing cold or flu symptoms, or who is not feeling well, is encouraged to stay home and contact the point of purchase for more information about ticket exchanges and policies.”
There have been other more specific shifts from certain productions: Hadestown won't have cast members greet fans at the stage door after shows. And Disney’s FROZEN has waived exchange fees and made refunds available to guests holding tickets for performances through April 19th.
At the same time, it's clear that Broadway is hoping to get people in seats as long as they still can, because as the Times reported, if a Broadway production cancels shows voluntarily, it will not receive insurance coverage for loss of income—but if there is a government mandate to shutter, losses incurred after two closed shows could be covered.
As a result, producer Scott Rudin, who’s behind the Broadway productions of West Side Story, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Lehman Trilogy, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and The Book of Mormon, has announced that all remaining tickets to all performances of those shows from March 12th through March 29th will be offered for $50, beginning Thursday at noon.
"As long as New York City is open for business, its beating heart remains the Broadway stage," Rudin said in a statement. "This is an unprecedented opportunity for everyone to see a show that they otherwise might not have had easy and affordable access to. I can't pretend that great theater is the panacea we've been waiting for, but in the meantime I think we could all use a few hours away from the evening news."
Is opportunity for new business really what people need at this make-or-break moment before coronavirus further spreads throughout the country? The Washington Post argued today that experts believe the best way to prevent a catastrophic explosion of new cases is to "break potential chains of transmission by preventing sick people from coming in close contact with healthy ones, whether it means canceling conferences or relying on individual decisions to avoid crowded public transportation or postpone weddings."
“Whenever you see the virus, it’s moved on already — it will have infected other people by the time you become aware of it,” Bill Hanage, an epidemiologist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told them. “Slowing it down matters because it prevents the health service becoming overburdened. We have a limited number of beds; we have a limited number of ventilators; we have a limited number of all the things that are part of supportive care that the most severely affected people will require.”
So far, there have been some dips in box office for Broadway shows over the last two weeks since the virus hit NYC, but only slightly.
Some, like Slave Play playwright Jeremy O. Harris, have expressed distaste with Rudin's strategy:
An usher who asked to remain anonymous said that she thinks the whole thing has been greatly exaggerated: "People are still going to shows," she said. "We've been asked to not touch tickets, and wash our hands after the show begins. We also can't wear gloves, and yet we still hand out playbills. Totally not sure the logic behind all this. I've also been asked to track down any coughing member of the audience and note their location, which becomes quite silly as theaters themselves are not the best ventilated to begin with, and many people cough during every show. We also can't sit on the floor."
She added, "Honestly, I may be in the minority on this, because it's not the plague, AIDS, or polio...just another form of a flu. The scaremongering news tactics are what's upsetting people, not the actual illness. Zika was worse than this. I don't get the hype about it at all. I expect the theaters to shut down, but that's only if the mayor decides to. It's just ridiculous, really."
Experts disagree with the usher's take. The director of the World Health Organization has stated that COVID-19 is far more dangerous than the flu: "There are not yet any vaccines or therapeutics to cure the disease. It can be contained - which is why we must do everything we can to contain it," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"We are cautiously optimistic that people will continue to show up," the Broadway League's St. Martin said. "We know that people are concerned and we are sending the message that we are doing everything possible to keep the theatergoers, staff, cast and crew safe with our robust cleaning of the theaters. We do recommend that people who are sick postpone their attendance for safety of themselves and the theatre at large. But we also know that people need escape from the crises of the world and we believe that is part of the reason that the theatergoers are still coming to Broadway."
Additional Reporting by Jay Vanasco.
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COVID-19
coronavirus
broadway
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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