“Broadway will remain closed for at least the rest of this year, and many shows are signaling that they do not expect a return to the stage until late winter or early spring,” writes Michael Paulson in Monday’s (6/29) New York Times. There are 41 professional theaters in the Broadway district, and shows from Broadway comprise the majority of touring productions nationwide. “The Broadway League said Monday that theater owners and producers will refund or exchange tickets previously purchased for shows through Jan. 3. Given the unpredictability of the coronavirus pandemic that has prompted the shuttering of Broadway, the League said it was not yet ready to specify exactly when shows will reopen. ‘Returning productions are currently projected to resume performances over a series of rolling dates in early 2021,’ the League said in a statement. Among the logistical issues industry leaders are discussing with government and medical officials: ‘screening and testing, cleaning and sanitizing, wayfinding inside theaters, backstage protocols and much more.’… the rising levels of coronavirus cases in some parts of the country reinforced the industry’s cautious approach…. Broadway shows went dark on March 12, and already this has been the longest shutdown in history.”
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