Following city and state approval for the Great White Way to reopen at maximum capacity come mid-September, several Broadway productions are scrambling to restart ticket sales.
In a statement released Wednesday, Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, said, “We remain cautiously optimistic about Broadway’s ability to resume performances this fall and are happy that fans can start buying tickets again.”
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Broadway theaters will reopen on September 14 and would be able to set their own post-pandemic entrance conditions and according to Robert Mujica, Cuomo’s budget officer, selling tickets would enable theaters to gauge demand until stages open. No Broadway production has set a definite September opening date as of yet, but several shows have placed monthly blocks of tickets on (and off) sale with the caveat that refunds will be provided if the reopening did not happen. With today’s announcement, ticket sales are predicted to improve, and several big Broadway shows, including Hamilton, The Lion King, and Wicked, are expected to reopen their box offices throughout next week.
David Byrne’s American Utopia, Chicago, Aladdin, Come From Down, Ain’t Too Proud, Jagged Little Pill, Mrs. Doubtfire, Flying Over Sunset, The Phantom of the Opera, and Aladdin are all likely to return in the fall. The Music Guy, as well as Diana: The Musical, have confirmed December performances, and other productions are undoubtedly focusing on plans to reach the stage before the end of 2021. The declaration from both Cuomo and St. Martin, according to Mary McColl, executive director of Actors’ Equity Association, “means we are one step closer to the safe reopening of not just Broadway, but jobs for thousands of workers in the New York area.” Equity looks forward to “continuing our conversations with the Broadway League about a safe reopening” and “knowing that the time will soon come when members can go back to doing what they do best, creating world-class theatre,” according to McColl.
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Author : Luke Traina
Photo: Ken Lund