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Broadway theaters went dark in mid-March as the
pandemic hit New York and previous target dates for reopening
have come and gone without any progress in finding a way to put
on indoor shows with live audiences that also protects actors
and backstage crews working in cramped conditions.
Producers of "The Music Man," who had hoped to stage the revival
in May 2021 with Hugh Jackman, said on Friday they had pushed
back the opening date of the show until February 2022.
The Actors' Equity Association called the extended shutdown
heartbreaking and appealed again for a national testing strategy
and government help for the arts.
"My heart breaks for everyone who works on Broadway or depends
on it to make their living," Mary McColl, executive director for
the union, said in a statement.
“Too many in the industry need help now as we face another six
months without work," she added.
Thirty-one shows were playing on Broadway when the shutdown
began. Some, including the stage musical version of the Disney
film "Frozen," have said they will not reopen.
Last month the Metropolitan Opera in New York said it had
canceled its entire 2020-21 season and would remain closed until
September 2021.
New York state Senator Brad Hoylman called for financial aid for
theaters, saying in a statement on Friday that 100,000 New
Yorkers rely on Broadway for their incomes and the industry
contributes $14.7 billion to the economy of New York City on top
of ticket sales.
"I’m ringing every alarm bell. Broadway is facing its greatest
crisis in modern history," Hoylman said.
(Reporting by Bhargav Acharya in Bengaluru; additional reporting
by Peter Szekely in New York; Writing by Jill Serjeant and
Marguerita Choy)
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