Lights Up On Broadway

Emma Muhlhall '21

September

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, businesses all over the world have been forced to close their doors in order to prevent the spread of the highly contagious illness. Among these businesses were Broadway theatres. The once luminous lights of the stage were forced to turn off for the time being. This massive shutdown of New York City’s theatre district left hundreds of people out of work, forcing some to move elsewhere because of the loss of a steady financial income. The big question was: Is Broadway ever going to be able to reopen? This question has finally been answered after a year and a half of closed curtains, -Yes.

It was first revealed back in May of this year that Broadway theatres would begin the reopening process in September of 2021. This was the opposite of what NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio had originally planned. De Blasio initially stated earlier this year that he wanted the city to be fully reopened by July 1st of the year. Obviously, this is not how things turned out, so why such a long wait? Broadway theatres can run as many as eight shows per week, and with tourist numbers lower than usual thanks to the pandemic, it has been very expensive for producers to get the theatre district fully running again. Although marketing as well as reassembling casts that haven’t been on stage in over a year has proven to be very time consuming, the biggest challenge to reopening theatres was figuring out how to do it safely in a pandemic.

New regulations have been put in place in order to allow theatres to allow a full audience to attend each show. Every audience member has to wear a mask for the entirety of the show, as well as show proof of vaccination in attendees ages 12 and over. Anyone under 12 or has medical reasons preventing them from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, must supply a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours of the performance or a negative COVID-19 antigen test 6 hours before the show. These regulations will obviously be faced with mixed reactions, but as of right now, they are the only way in which we can enjoy Broadway safely.

After being closed since last March, Hamilton, Wicked, The Lion King, and Chicago officially reopened on September 14, 2021. Many more shows are scheduled for reopening in the upcoming months, this will hopefully be a big step in making life feel normal again.