Due to the threat of COVID-19 and the impact the virus has on New York City, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo banned public gatherings of more than 500 people on Mar. 12th. This included one of America’s most iconic forms of entertainment, Broadway theatres.
As an industry that relies on live, large-scale gatherings of audience members and performers alike, theatres all over the country are arguably feeling more strain from the pandemic than their other entertainment counterparts.
“Town & Country” magazine spoke to many members of the Broadway community about the current situation and reported that, while frustrated with the situation, they understand this is what is best for the health and safety of everyone.
However, some, such as playwright Jeremy O. Harris and producer Eric Kuhn, are calling for ways to keep audiences engaged through online or pay-per-view content. Harris said on Twitter “…Complications abound for something like this but would it be possible to do a pay per view crowd fund for the broadway union members affected by this UNPRECEDENTED closing @LincolnCenter ?” Kuhn said to the magazine, “It is moments like these where we form a digital community. Because, then, when theaters reopen, audiences can come back more excited than ever before.”
On The Tonight Show: At Home Edition with Jimmy Fallon, Lin-Manuel Miranda of “Hamilton” fame was interviewed about the effects of the shutdown on Broadway as a whole.
Miranda said that he is worried about “our Broadway performers and actors and theater companies, and people behind the scenes at theater companies all over the world, who can’t make a living because we make our living where people gather.” However, he is very hopeful they will make it through things so that they can get back to doing what they love.
Until then, he asked for people to visit BroadwayCares.org/help2020. BroadwayCares has created an emergency assistance fund with a goal to raise $1 million for “people in the performing arts who need help right now because they’re not making a living–housing, food, sort of whatever needs doing.”
According to NPR.org, it was announced on Apr. 8th by the Broadway League that their theaters will remain closed until Jun. 7th. As New York’s largest tourist attraction, bringing in nearly $2 billion last year, this will see a major blow done to the city and company’s income on top of the other issues brought on by COVID-19.
Photo: Marisa Fields-Williams/ The Johnsonian
