Broadway and the Virus

[jo]

[jo]

Is this a solid indication that the health crisis might last much longer than the early June return for theatres?

variety.com/2020/legit/news/shubert-organization-furloughs-coronavirus-1234577468/

Legit
News
Apr 10, 2020 2:27pm PT
Shubert Organization Furloughs Staff Due to Broadway’s Coronavirus Shutdown

By Brent Lang

The Shubert Organization has enacted furloughs during the coronavirus shutdown of Broadway. It’s unclear exactly how many staffers have been cut, but sources say that roughly 30% of the theater company’s employees have been furloughed.

The positions impacted range across the company and include administrative, sales and marketing staffers. Furloughed employees will be able to retain their health insurance for three months.

The 30% figure does not include the stage hands, ushers, box office workers and others who were let go when Broadway shuttered on March 12.

A spokesperson for the Shubert Organization declined to comment. The Shubert Organization is the largest theater owner on Broadway and claims to be the country’s oldest professional theater company. Its holdings include 17 Broadway theaters and two Off-Broadway venues, including such storied theaters as the Belasco, the Winter Garden, the Majestic and the Ethel Barrymore. The company also boasts various ticketing brands, including Telecharge and Broadway Inbound.


Initially, the Broadway League said performances would resume during the week of April 13, 2020. They amended that projection this week, stating that theaters will remain closed at least through June 7. There’s widespread skepticism in the industry that the public health crisis will have abated enough for people to gather in crowded public spaces. Some insiders believe that theaters will be lucky to be open by July with some predicting they will stay shuttered into September. The shutdown has had a devastating impact on the theater business, resulting in millions of dollars in lost revenue.

[jo]

Some very thoughtful discussion from 5 people featured in the New York Times Magazine.


www.nytimes.com/2020/04/10/magazine/coronavirus-economy-debate.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage

This particular thinking may affect what will happen to Broadway --

Emanuel: Yes, restarting the economy has to be done in stages, and it does have to start with more physical distancing at a work site that allows people who are at lower risk to come back. Certain kinds of construction, or manufacturing or offices, in which you can maintain six-foot distances are more reasonable to start sooner. Larger gatherings — conferences, concerts, sporting events — when people say they’re going to reschedule this conference or graduation event for October 2020, I have no idea how they think that’s a plausible possibility. I think those things will be the last to return. Realistically we’re talking fall 2021 at the earliest

Zeke Emanuel is vice provost for global initiatives and director of the Healthcare Transformation Institute at the University of Pennsylvania; host of a new podcast about coronavirus, “Making the Call”; and author of the forthcoming book “Which Country Has the World’s Best Health Care?”

Of course, it may all depend on how fast a vaccine or anti-viral medicines can be developed. Let's hope it is much faster in pace than suggested in the discussions.

[mamaleh]

An interview with Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League. It’s not looking good for September.

deadline.com/2020/04/reopening-broadway-charlotte-st-martin-broadway-league-candid-conversation-1202910054/#comments

Ellen

[jo]

There's too much uncertainty.

Jo

[jo]

Re safety issues on the reopening of BROADWAY -- a very incisive interview by Deadline.com with Equity --

deadline.com/2020/04/reopening-broadway-actors-equity-mary-mccoll-interview-safety-consultant-david-michaels-1202916028/?fbclid=IwAR0RnbQTGGXORLNfaa6OHGgqute3GOzW0djyBMlh0YqaKW0VlJrqrJonGEk

[jo]

www.forbes.com/sites/marchershberg/2020/04/29/governor-cuomo-snubs-broadway-in-planning-new-york-rebound/#5f8d30752c74

292 views|Apr 29, 2020,11:25pm EDT
Governor Cuomo Snubs Broadway In Planning New York Rebound

Marc HershbergContributor
Hollywood & Entertainment


As a new task force takes center stage to help boost the New York economy, Broadway has been banished to the balcony.
In a recent press conference, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the creation of an advisory board to help guide the government’s strategy to resurrect New York following the COVID-19 pandemic. Known as the New York Forward Re-Opening Advisory Board, the group includes over 100 “business, academic, community and civic leaders from across the state,” he confirmed.


In addition to university presidents, the council contains top executives from many of the leading financial institutions, real estate firms, hospitality groups, sports teams, and entertainment companies. James Dolan from the Madison Square Garden Company and Jane Rosenthal from Tribeca Enterprises, which organizes the Tribeca Film Festival, were chosen to join the group.

“This board includes many of our state’s most dynamic leaders, and I thank the Governor for his wisdom in putting together this diverse group,” commented Orinthia Montague, the president of Tompkins Cortland Community College.


But, despite selecting individuals from a wide range of industries and backgrounds, Governor Cuomo did not choose a single person from the Broadway community.

“I was shocked to see that Broadway didn't have a seat at this important table, considering how our industry is not only an economic engine for the city and state, but it’s also an important symbol of the health of New York to the rest of our country and to the world,” stated producer Ken Davenport. Drawing millions of tourists from all over the world to New York, more people attended Broadway shows last season than the games of all professional sports teams in New York and New Jersey combined, contributing over $14.7 billion to the local economy and supporting about 96,900 jobs.



When data from touring productions are included, the numbers are much greater. “I think it is safe to say that this business provides millions of dollars in economic impact across all markets, and generates numerous local hires, including stagehands,” stated Albert Nocciolino of the upstate presenter NAC Entertainment. For example, one touring production of The Lion King pumped more than $14 million into the local economy when it launched in Syracuse two years ago.

Despite the large economic impact of Broadway in New York, Governor Cuomo has appeared to be at odds with the industry over the past few weeks.

When the Broadway League national trade association decided to extend its shutdown of shows through Sunday, June 7, Governor Cuomo dismissed the news. “I wouldn’t use what Broadway thinks as a barometer of anything unless they’re in the public health business and have seen better numbers and models,” he quipped.
Staying at home during the pandemic, “we barely see the sun these days, but even we know that’s a burn,” commented one writer.

However, Charlotte St. Martin, the president of the Broadway League, explained that the date was not tied to when Broadway shows would resume performances. “We said we were exchanging and refunding tickets up to June 7,” she confirmed, and “every couple of days our guesstimates go further out.” “It really depends on the elected officials, and we know very well that Governor Cuomo will be the one to tell us when we can come back,” St. Martin said.
According to the politician, Broadway might be one of the last industries to return.

In outlining his steps to reopen businesses in New York, Governor Cuomo warned that “you should make sure that you do not ... open up a facility or an attraction that could bring people from outside the region to you.” “You have all this pent-up demand in the Tri-state region,” and business owners should “make sure that [they] don’t open up something that could bring hundreds of people from the outside in,” he said.



Last week, while putting together the advisory board, Governor Cuomo asked prolific producer Scott Rudin and theater owner James L. Nederlander to share their ideas for raising the curtain again on Broadway. But, while both professionals volunteered to help the government in any way that they can, the governor did not invite them to join his high-profile think tank in the room where it happens.


On the date when nominations for the Tony Awards were originally scheduled to be announced, it looks like Broadway as an industry was snubbed.

And Broadway is also the main industry that accounts for a lot of patronage of hotels and restaurants, as well as merchandise memorabilia business. And a lot of corporate entertainment are done with Broadway shows!

[jo]

From BWW --

Shut down until June 7
#254

Posted: 4/29/20 at 11:37pm
I was told today that producers for a newish show are looking at if they’re able to reopen some point in the summer with limited seating, charging upwards of $400 a ticket to make a profit. It’s insane.

I had actually thought of this --

*Limited seating
*Very high upward adjustment of ticket price ( to make up for lost revenue).

If conditions change, the seating plan can expand and a reduction in ticket price can happen.

I would be willing to do that - assuming you have a budget for several shows - maybe choose one and spend your money on that one show. Others may balk. But isn't that what we do when we reallocate money for something we want most? ( Save money by not buying other stuff and put it away for a particular wishlist). Or buy less of something so you can get the best product ( like buying food where one skips other choices to spend the budget on a luxury item)?

I remember doing that for THE BOY FROM OZ - I had seen it all in all 13 times on Broadway ( close to the stage all the time... incl a second-row center seat at the closing show) -- so what did I do then? I did not see any other show ( one exception : Avenue Q)… and I did not go to Fifth Avenue much or go to favorite restaurants often during those 3 trips. Simple economics ( reallocation of scarce resources)

Of course there are those who would rather have a smorgasbord of shows to see. But that seems like a distant memory now. Maybe the above is one limited-time experiment to see if Broadway is ready to rebound, at least in staging shows while minimizing audience interaction.


PS : I wonder which show is this for? It is supposed to be newish! Presumably it is a very popular new hit to be able to get that kind of attention?

PPS : If this works, can they use the same experiment for cinema releases?

Jo

[jo]

www.msn.com/en-ph/entertainment/music/west-end-theatres-unlikely-to-reopen-before-next-year-says-cameron-mackintosh/ar-BB13z3dO?ocid=spartandhp

West End theatres unlikely to reopen before next year, says Cameron Mackintosh

Zoe Paskett 1 hr ago

Theatre producer Cameron Mackintosh said that theatres are unlikely to stage major shows until “early next year”.
Speaking on the Michael Ball Show on Radio 2, he said that social distancing due to the pandemic would mean the West End and Broadway would be “the last public entertainment to go back”.


All West End theatres have been closed since March 16, with shows officially cancelled up until May 31. This is certain to be extended with the Prime Minister likely to extend the lockdown this week.


Mackintosh said that all the major producers “both sides of the Atlantic” are talking to each other: “The truth is until social distancing doesn't exist anymore, we can't even plan to reopen.” He added that once it has been lifted, it will take “four to five months” to start producing musicals again.

"We will be back, but we need time to get back. If we don't hear in a few weeks, I think the truth is we won't be able to come back until early next year. The longer it is until we can say social distancing is gone, the longer it'll be for the theatre to come back."

© Provided by Evening Standard image

How the coronavirus closures will affect London's theatres

He rejected the idea of inputting social distancing measures in productions at his theatres saying: “You can’t change the staging...One Day More? Can you imagine trying to do that six feet apart? It wouldn’t be any good. And an audience going together and being spaced out would be a horrible experience. It’s the experience that makes it so unique.”
“We want the audience to feel safe and we want the actors to feel safe.”

As well as producing the West End’s biggest musicals including Les Misérables, the Phantom of the Opera and Hamilton, Mackintosh owns a number of theatres. He said this was particularly affected, with “millions and millions” of pounds being lost.

“We know it’s going to get back eventually but it takes months and months to get huge shows like the ones we do up. So my heart goes out to all the wonderful artists and musicians and everyone who works in the theatre who are just sitting there waiting to practice their brilliant arts.”

[jo]

A constraint that has to be faced - the serious threats coming from singing or blowing on wind instruments... on rehearsals or actual performances --

www.talkinbroadway.com/allthatchat_new/d.php?id=2487337

Hope Hugh and the rest of the troupe as well as the producers and creative teams of The Music Man take note of the inherent risks.

[jo]

Regional theatres such as the famous Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis have also decided to consider 2020 as a lost season and will reopen in 2021. I have a special fondness for the Guthrie as that was the theatre which introduced me to professional theatre when I first came to America. I was there for the cultural aspect of our Orientation Program ( Fulbright program)for our studies and immersion into American culture. But it was quite an experience for me as the play we were sponsored to see was a classical one with by German playwright Brecht called The Caucasian Chalk Circle … but that dire first taste become full blown theatre love when I moved to New York post-studies and met Broadway!

www.startribune.com/guthrie-board-slashes-budget-plays-to-meet-projections-reduced-by-coronavirus-impact/570329352/

[jo]

And on the West End ( London), the situation is equally dire ( desperate, as one theatre folk calls it) --

[jo]

May 12, 2020 11:16:28 GMT -5 jo said:

Broadway shutdown extended to September 6, 2020!


www.broadwayworld.com/article/Breaking-Broadway-Shutdown-Extends-To-September-20200512

With the ongoing suspension of Broadway performances due to COVID-19 continuing until further notice, the Broadway League is updating information regarding performance cancellations and ticketing protocol. While a date to resume performances is yet to be determined, Broadway theatres are now offering refunds and exchanges for tickets purchased for performances through September 6, 2020.


"While all Broadway shows would love to resume performances as soon as possible, we need to ensure the health and well-being of everyone who comes to the theatre - behind the curtain and in front of it - before shows can return. The Broadway League's membership is working in cooperation with the theatrical unions, government officials, and health experts to determine the safest ways to restart our industry," said Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League.

"Throughout this challenging time, we have been in close communication with Governor Cuomo's office and are grateful for his support and leadership as we work together to bring back this vital part of New York City's economy - and spirit."


Those holding tickets for performances through September 6, 2020 will receive an e-mail from their point of purchase with detailed information regarding refund and exchange options. Any customers holding tickets through September 6, 2020 that have not received an e-mail by May 18th are advised to contact their point of purchase for assistance after this date.
Broadway performances were suspended on March 12, 2020. At that time, 31 productions were running, including 8 new shows in previews. Additionally, 8 productions were in rehearsals preparing to open in the spring.

Off Broadway shows are also suspended through September 6, including; Anne Frank, The Musical, Black Angels Over Tuskegee, Camp: A New Musical, Drift, Frankenstein: a new musical, The Gazillion Bubble Show, The Imbible, The Imbible: Day Drinking, Jersey Boys, Little Shop of Horrors, Love Quirks, A Musical About Star Wars, Pinkalicious The Musical, The Play That Goes Wrong, Rock of Ages, Sistas: The Musical, Swing! The Musical, Trevor, Trumpilton: An American Musical Parody, and Wicked City Blues.

The Broadway League will continue to work with city and state officials to determine an appropriate date for performances to resume and will provide updates to the public as decisions are made.

[jo]

May 12, 2020 11:24:40 GMT -5 jo said:

The Music Man was originally scheduled to open for Previews on September 9, 2020.

Hopefully, some form of indication from the producers can be given as to the probability of the show keeping to its original schedule.

There are fans who will be travelling beyond the tri-state and may have to cancel flights and hotel accomodations, some even from overseas.


Jo

[jo]

deadline.com/2020/05/new-york-city-movie-theaters-reopening-and-broadway-1202932910/#comments

Broadway theaters aren’t expected to reopen in New York City for quite a long time, Deadline sources saying not before 2021.

First, as Deadline clarified today, Broadway isn’t in a shutdown through Labor Day weekend, as most media outlets falsely indicated; today’s news outlined a ticket-refund policy period through that holiday weekend. The Broadway League will follow reopening guidelines as prescribed by Cuomo’s office. Its statement today didn’t announce or speculate a reopening date.

[jo]

Without government support, British theatre (which gave us the Trevor Nunn-version of OKLAHOMA! and Jez Butterworth's THE RIVER) is on the brink of collapse, per producer Sonia Friedman.

www.broadwayworld.com/article/British-Theatre-On-the-Brink-Of-Ruin-Without-Government-Help-Warns-Producer-Sonia-Friedman-20200521#

[jo]

Grim outlook for Broadway … until a vaccine comes along!


www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/05/broadway-struggles-with-how-it-can-reopen

“Not Until There’s a Fucking Vaccine”: Broadway Struggles With How It Can Reopen

With its tightly packed theaters and exorbitant ticket prices, the industry is unsure when, how, and which shows will return.

By Casey Mink
May 22, 2020


“When can people go to the theater again? Not until there’s a fucking vaccine.” That’s how one Broadway producer, frustrated with some more optimistic projections, described the circumstances around reopening.
With states around the country edging back toward normalcy, the theater—which, by its very nature of enclosed mass gathering and elderly patronage, make it a coronavirus free-for-all—is in a particularly tough spot. As of this writing, Broadway is officially closed until September 6, with the expectation being that the date will be pushed back again as summer unfolds.

But every passing day that the curtain is drawn means more financial loss for an industry that grossed nearly $2 billion in 2019, and even insiders don’t know exactly how and when to move forward.


“All of us are making a collective bet with each other, and the biggest bet here is, when will enough audience members feel safe enough to buy premium price tickets?” added the producer. “If the people running the theaters and running the shows hedge and they hedge badly, it’s difficult for me to see a world in which every show that was on Broadway [before the shutdown] doesn’t close.”

Shortly after all shows were halted on March 12, two of the season’s new plays, Hangmen and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, announced they would not open. And last week producers of the Frozen stage adaptation also said the musical would not return, in what many saw as a dark harbinger of what’s to come: If a Disney super-property can’t withstand the pandemic, what can?

“Every show is going to have a different set of challenges to face whenever we emerge from the shutdown,” said one industry veteran. “From a financial perspective, shows will need to evaluate their relaunch and running costs and project what they think they can gross, and sustain what may be a bit of a ramp-up to full capacity. Challenges will vary; long-running shows have brand recognition that will help them, but those tend to have audiences from outside of New York, who will likely be slower to return. Newer shows will face the unique challenge of establishing themselves at a moment when some of the audiences who see shows on the early side may be hesitant to return.”

There will be no collective comeback for Broadway’s 41 theaters. Shows will likely resume performances in waves, with one insider speculating that the hefty long-runners like Wicked, The Lion King, and Hamilton will come back first, followed by smaller-scale shows from more recent seasons like Come From Away and last season’s best-musical winner Hadestown. And then, finally, the musicals from this past truncated season that either had the chance to open or were just about to can pick up; Jagged Little Pill, Six, and the Company revival potentially among them.

That reopening model, however, doesn’t take into full account what the producer theorizes could change the DNA of commercial theater in a post-COVID world. “There are two types of [ticket] buyers; Wicked and The Lion King have functionally zero local audience at this point, and are at a different risk than new shows,” they said. “So even though Wicked is a billion-dollar property, they might be in a tougher position than something like Jagged Little Pill, which a lot of New Yorkers hadn’t gotten the chance to see.”


For those recent shows now shuttered, the Tony Awards could be a potential boost—if they ever actually happen. Originally slated for June 7, the American Theatre Wing announced in late March that theater’s biggest night would be postponed. Initially, there was held-out hope that a ceremony could be mounted later in the summer or even the fall. But as time has passed, there is a growing sense that leaving the season in open-ended limbo is causing more harm than good.

“The current state of affairs around the Tonys is, right now, actively damaging,” added the producer. “What the industry needs now is a sense of closure for this season. We need to have some version of the Tony Awards—even if it’s not broadcast or televised. Let us grieve and celebrate what we had, so we can free up that space to prepare for the drought ahead.

“My hunch is that there are some parties who are still clinging to the hope, idea, delusion, whatever word you want to use, that somehow the Tonys might still be able to function as a commercial for some of the shows that opened this season,” the producer added.



Ultimately, whether the Tony Awards are cancelled, doled out digitally via Zoom or another platform, or clumped together with next year’s broadcast, there’s no good outcome. Foregoing the awards altogether sets a dismal precedent, while a virtual ceremony is anticlimactic to say the least. And holding off for one supersize 2021 ceremony would mean shows from this past season will have inevitably lost some of their luster; Moulin Rouge!, for example, will be nearly two years old by next June.

“It may just have to be, this sucks for everyone,” said one longtime publicist. However, there’s a narrative there too. “This is that year and that’s the story: You won your Tony the year of the pandemic. If that were to happen, you know next year at the Tony Awards they’re going to parade all those winners in a line with their Tony Awards [and there will be] 10 minutes of applause. It’s a creative bunch of people, and they are going to figure it out.”



The pandemic, while grim, is also a unique opportunity for Broadway to look inward. “All of this is daunting, but it presents opportunities too,” said the industry veteran. “[We can] broaden our audiences for all shows by using more affordable ticket prices and a shift in marketing strategy to make audiences for whom theatergoing isn’t a regular habit feel welcome coming to Broadway.”

What does that actually mean in practice? It’ll likely yield a Broadway with fewer brands, more plays, quicker turnover of shows, and yes, maybe even more affordable tickets.

“What I would hope is that all the different powers that be—the theater owners, commercial producers, nonprofits, and the unions with which we all negotiate—everyone has to see this as an opportunity to reexamine the structures that currently exist, that make producing a show so expensive in the first place,” said the producer. “I’m hoping even as we’re figuring it out and mourning and stressing, that this can be used as a way to evaluate the way that inequity is built into the structure of our business itself. To come back and, by necessity, have a better business model. We’re not going to be able to go back to normal.”


As to when we might get to experience Broadway’s “new normal,” that same producer thinks you shouldn’t hold your breath: “If you think you’re going to see The Music Man in 2020, you’re out of your goddamn mind.”

[hu4601]

May 22, 2020 9:30:17 GMT -5 jo said:

Grim outlook for Broadway … until a vaccine comes along!


www.vanityfair.com/style/2020/05/broadway-struggles-with-how-it-can-reopen

“Not Until There’s a Fucking Vaccine”: Broadway Struggles With How It Can Reopen

With its tightly packed theaters and exorbitant ticket prices, the industry is unsure when, how, and which shows will return.

By Casey Mink
May 22, 2020


“When can people go to the theater again? Not until there’s a fucking vaccine.” That’s how one Broadway producer, frustrated with some more optimistic projections, described the circumstances around reopening.
With states around the country edging back toward normalcy, the theater—which, by its very nature of enclosed mass gathering and elderly patronage, make it a coronavirus free-for-all—is in a particularly tough spot. As of this writing, Broadway is officially closed until September 6, with the expectation being that the date will be pushed back again as summer unfolds.

But every passing day that the curtain is drawn means more financial loss for an industry that grossed nearly $2 billion in 2019, and even insiders don’t know exactly how and when to move forward.


“All of us are making a collective bet with each other, and the biggest bet here is, when will enough audience members feel safe enough to buy premium price tickets?” added the producer. “If the people running the theaters and running the shows hedge and they hedge badly, it’s difficult for me to see a world in which every show that was on Broadway [before the shutdown] doesn’t close.”

Shortly after all shows were halted on March 12, two of the season’s new plays, Hangmen and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, announced they would not open. And last week producers of the Frozen stage adaptation also said the musical would not return, in what many saw as a dark harbinger of what’s to come: If a Disney super-property can’t withstand the pandemic, what can?

“Every show is going to have a different set of challenges to face whenever we emerge from the shutdown,” said one industry veteran. “From a financial perspective, shows will need to evaluate their relaunch and running costs and project what they think they can gross, and sustain what may be a bit of a ramp-up to full capacity. Challenges will vary; long-running shows have brand recognition that will help them, but those tend to have audiences from outside of New York, who will likely be slower to return. Newer shows will face the unique challenge of establishing themselves at a moment when some of the audiences who see shows on the early side may be hesitant to return.”

There will be no collective comeback for Broadway’s 41 theaters. Shows will likely resume performances in waves, with one insider speculating that the hefty long-runners like Wicked, The Lion King, and Hamilton will come back first, followed by smaller-scale shows from more recent seasons like Come From Away and last season’s best-musical winner Hadestown. And then, finally, the musicals from this past truncated season that either had the chance to open or were just about to can pick up; Jagged Little Pill, Six, and the Company revival potentially among them.

That reopening model, however, doesn’t take into full account what the producer theorizes could change the DNA of commercial theater in a post-COVID world. “There are two types of [ticket] buyers; Wicked and The Lion King have functionally zero local audience at this point, and are at a different risk than new shows,” they said. “So even though Wicked is a billion-dollar property, they might be in a tougher position than something like Jagged Little Pill, which a lot of New Yorkers hadn’t gotten the chance to see.”


For those recent shows now shuttered, the Tony Awards could be a potential boost—if they ever actually happen. Originally slated for June 7, the American Theatre Wing announced in late March that theater’s biggest night would be postponed. Initially, there was held-out hope that a ceremony could be mounted later in the summer or even the fall. But as time has passed, there is a growing sense that leaving the season in open-ended limbo is causing more harm than good.

“The current state of affairs around the Tonys is, right now, actively damaging,” added the producer. “What the industry needs now is a sense of closure for this season. We need to have some version of the Tony Awards—even if it’s not broadcast or televised. Let us grieve and celebrate what we had, so we can free up that space to prepare for the drought ahead.

“My hunch is that there are some parties who are still clinging to the hope, idea, delusion, whatever word you want to use, that somehow the Tonys might still be able to function as a commercial for some of the shows that opened this season,” the producer added.



Ultimately, whether the Tony Awards are cancelled, doled out digitally via Zoom or another platform, or clumped together with next year’s broadcast, there’s no good outcome. Foregoing the awards altogether sets a dismal precedent, while a virtual ceremony is anticlimactic to say the least. And holding off for one supersize 2021 ceremony would mean shows from this past season will have inevitably lost some of their luster; Moulin Rouge!, for example, will be nearly two years old by next June.

“It may just have to be, this sucks for everyone,” said one longtime publicist. However, there’s a narrative there too. “This is that year and that’s the story: You won your Tony the year of the pandemic. If that were to happen, you know next year at the Tony Awards they’re going to parade all those winners in a line with their Tony Awards [and there will be] 10 minutes of applause. It’s a creative bunch of people, and they are going to figure it out.”



The pandemic, while grim, is also a unique opportunity for Broadway to look inward. “All of this is daunting, but it presents opportunities too,” said the industry veteran. “[We can] broaden our audiences for all shows by using more affordable ticket prices and a shift in marketing strategy to make audiences for whom theatergoing isn’t a regular habit feel welcome coming to Broadway.”

What does that actually mean in practice? It’ll likely yield a Broadway with fewer brands, more plays, quicker turnover of shows, and yes, maybe even more affordable tickets.

“What I would hope is that all the different powers that be—the theater owners, commercial producers, nonprofits, and the unions with which we all negotiate—everyone has to see this as an opportunity to reexamine the structures that currently exist, that make producing a show so expensive in the first place,” said the producer. “I’m hoping even as we’re figuring it out and mourning and stressing, that this can be used as a way to evaluate the way that inequity is built into the structure of our business itself. To come back and, by necessity, have a better business model. We’re not going to be able to go back to normal.”


As to when we might get to experience Broadway’s “new normal,” that same producer thinks you shouldn’t hold your breath: “If you think you’re going to see The Music Man in 2020, you’re out of your goddamn mind.”

[hu4601]

Agree. I've accepted that my trip to NYC in Sep 2020 won't happen and am crossing fingers that I can get my money back for the 4 tickets I purchased in late 2019. Hoping they won't just offer a credit for future dates as it's looking like there'll be no international travel between Australia and the US for possibly another 12 months. Also, my prepaid air tickets with Virgin Australia and Delta are useless as Virgin is in administration, but that's another battle I need to fight. Having said that, I'm so lucky to be living in what I regard as the safest country in the world at this time and am grateful to have experienced Broadway and the US before they changed indefinitely.

[jo]

Re Tickets --

It's a good thing the tickets were sold via Telecharge (rather than Ticketmaster) as they are easier and fairer to deal with. Here's their INFO page for show performances that have been cancelled up to Sept 6. It is very likely that they will follow the same procedures if and when any performances of THE MUSIC MAN are cancelled.

www.telecharge.com/siteinfo.aspx?siteinfotype=helpfaq

I just hope that they handle refunds ( if that is the procedure) immediately, so I can rebook tickets with the same credit card. If they give a rebooking option ( in some other shows, they offer a discount as incentive) - that is fine, insofar as not having to deal with mismatched refund/new tickets transactions. But since it will likely be a deluge ( which they may handle via email, instead of being able to deal with Customer Service directly - no tollfree phone line, though), so it would be hard to tell if one is able to get the desired tickets again. Arghh...

Re rebooking for the show -- the speculation is that the show schedule change will depend a great deal on whether Hugh can keep a yearlong commitment, if and when the show is delayed to 2021.

I am glad I deferred booking for other non-TMM shows when I travel to NYC as originally planned. At least I don't have those on my list of difficult-to-do's.



Jo

[jo]

I also have prepaid Delta flights - but until we know what is going to happen to The Music Man, I cannot deal with what to do about rebooking or putting the credit into an e-bank for future flights. Delta tickets are good for one year before they expire - so that sets my timetable to some extent. They have not resumed flights to Manila though... but I am hoping that they will be back no later than the end of the year...or at least announce when they will be back in 2021. It will also depend on when they finally relax the lockdown/quarantine policy here ( supposedly, at this point, we have the longest lockdown period in the world since the crisis evolved worldwide).

Have you dealt with Delta Customer Service re your flight issue? They offer certain concessions due to the crisis. Or if you can join the online website (if you are a SkyMiles member), they do have key advisories and updates.

Jo

[hu4601]

May 22, 2020 17:12:52 GMT -5 jo said:

I also have prepaid Delta flights - but until we know what is going to happen to The Music Man, I cannot deal with what to do about rebooking or putting the credit into an e-bank for future flights. Delta tickets are good for one year before they expire - so that sets my timetable to some extent. They have not resumed flights to Manila though... but I am hoping that they will be back no later than the end of the year...or at least announce when they will be back in 2021. It will also depend on when they finally relax the lockdown/quarantine policy here ( supposedly, at this point, we have the longest lockdown period in the world since the crisis evolved worldwide).

Have you dealt with Delta Customer Service re your flight issue? They offer certain concessions due to the crisis. Or if you can join the online website (if you are a SkyMiles member), they do have key advisories and updates.

Jo

   Thanks Jo. No , I'm not a
 Skymiles member and I can't deal with Delta, as the tickets were issued by Virgin, with Delta code share flights for the LAX to JFK and return legs. Everything is on hold till the sale of Virgin is completed, with the announcement of the successful bidder expected mid June. Even if I could use refund credits on Delta flights from LA to NY, they're no use if I can't get from Aus to the US which is in the hands of the Australian government whose current stance is that international travel will not recommence until 2021, possibly late 2021 !!!!

[jo]

This is an almost humorous response on BWW to the Vanity Fair article --

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Vanity Fair on Broadway's Reopening - "Not Until There's a F***cking Vaccine"
#15

Posted: 5/22/20 at 10:51pm
Broadway can re-open as soon as we get out of the paradigm we are in, which is now either:

A. Oh you want things to re-open? I see. I guess you want people to die for capitalism.

B. Oh you want things to stay closed? I see. I guess you want to destroy our economy and my livelihood.

Since those two sides are never going to agree, we need to somehow move past that roadblock. I hope that movie theaters are re-opened this summer, at first with some drastic capacity limit. And at some point later in the year we can see that if everyone wears a mask, doesn't touch multiple surfaces, stays home if they're sick, we can cram ourselves into our beloved Broadway houses again.

This situation is starting to remind me more and more of post 9/11, where we kept saying that life will NEVER be the same. And we did have to get through 2-3 years of New York City without its go-go-crazy energy. Of course it's different too since Broadway came back in just two days, but they did have to do all sorts of union negotiating and long-runners did shut down--you could even put Les Miz in that group even though it took almost 2 years for them to finally give up on it.

We should also remember that one of the most common, ubiquitous, inescapable elements of going to a Broadway show was LOUD COUGHERS. Not trying to exaggerate, but generally you probably couldn't count to ten in between at least one person coughing in a typical Broadway house. And did they stifle it? Did they at least try and make it sound like they're coughing into their elbow? NOOOOOOOO. Did they let that cough rip out? Phlegm and mucus and lungs and all? You bet. And we all just quivered in our seat for a second, rolled our eyes, and tried to focus on the show. What on earth are those coughers going to do now? Could you imagine if they reopened Broadway and somebody behind you coughed? You'd probably race out of there and hook yourself up to one of Trump's bleach IVs.

I have always been a bit of a germaphobe and I always had a habit of washing my hands anytime I walked past a restroom/bathroom and I avoid touching the rails on escalators and I cover door handles with my shirt even if I'm in a short sleeve shirt. So personally I welcome the rest of the world acting as neurotic as I always have been about germs. Masks? ugh I'm not a fan but if it's the choice between wearing a mask and attending a Broadway show---mask me the hell up.

[njr]

May 22, 2020 16:08:44 GMT -5 hu4601 said:

Agree. I've accepted that my trip to NYC in Sep 2020 won't happen and am crossing fingers that I can get my money back for the 4 tickets I purchased in late 2019. Hoping they won't just offer a credit for future dates as it's looking like there'll be no international travel between Australia and the US for possibly another 12 months. Also, my prepaid air tickets with Virgin Australia and Delta are useless as Virgin is in administration, but that's another battle I need to fight. Having said that, I'm so lucky to be living in what I regard as the safest country in the world at this time and am grateful to have experienced Broadway and the US before they changed indefinitely.

Which company did you use initially to buy your tickets? If Delta, you can get a refund, but you have to call their customer service and wait times are long. I waited 2 hours and 45 minutes (10:30 pm to 1:15 am EDT) but I got my 100,000 Delta Sky Miles returned, plus taxes (in $, still waiting on the taxes that were charged in £) for my trip to the U.K. in August that had to be cancelled. (We would have flown through Virgin Atlantic, Delta’s partner)

Nancy

[hu4601]

May 23, 2020 14:17:47 GMT -5 njr said:

May 22, 2020 16:08:44 GMT -5 hu4601 said:

Agree. I've accepted that my trip to NYC in Sep 2020 won't happen and am crossing fingers that I can get my money back for the 4 tickets I purchased in late 2019. Hoping they won't just offer a credit for future dates as it's looking like there'll be no international travel between Australia and the US for possibly another 12 months. Also, my prepaid air tickets with Virgin Australia and Delta are useless as Virgin is in administration, but that's another battle I need to fight. Having said that, I'm so lucky to be living in what I regard as the safest country in the world at this time and am grateful to have experienced Broadway and the US before they changed indefinitely.

Which company did you use initially to buy your tickets? If Delta, you can get a refund, but you have to call their customer service and wait times are long. I waited 2 hours and 45 minutes (10:30 pm to 1:15 am EDT) but I got my 100,000 Delta Sky Miles returned, plus taxes (in $, still waiting on the taxes that were charged in £) for my trip to the U.K. in August that had to be cancelled. (We would have flown through Virgin Atlantic, Delta’s partner)

Nancy

 Unfortunately it was Virgin Australia so I just have to wait till the new owner is determined. It might even be possible to fly Delta all the way from Aus to NYC, if they're looking to pick up former Virgin members, but Australia's borders look like being closed well in to 2021 and even then, I'm not sure that I'd want to risk my health in a crowded environment like NYC. Thanks anyway for your advice Nancy.