Broadway has a serious crisis just before the holidays. Some of Broadway’s most loved shows, like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hamilton, and Tina the Tina Turner Musical, have been forced to cancel due to COVID-19.
Ain’t Too Proud has had to cancel future performances of Ms. Doubtfire and Freestyle Love Supreme due to COVID positive cases among the actors and members of their production crew.
Today’s Tina Turner jukebox musical performances were cancelled due to a limited number positive COVID tests within Broadway.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child announced that their Wednesday matinee performance would also be cancelled, but the evening show was not affected by the late notice they sent in the afternoon.
Playbill reported that Little Shop of Horrors’ Off-Broadway production of Little Shop of Horrors had to temporarily close following March 11, 2020 due to pandemic. This weekend, it will close its shows.
The companies explained in each of their announcements that cancellations were necessary because of a lack of safety.
Broadway now faces major problems ahead of Christmas after shows cancelled because of a surge in cast cases and staff shortages
This week saw cancellations of several Broadway shows, such as Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Freestyle Love Supreme. Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.
After a year-and-a half after the outbreak of the pandemic and the subsequent shutdown of New York City’s theater district, Broadway began slowly to reopen.
New York City is the capital for arts and culture. Mayor Bill de Blasio stated that Broadway’s September reopening was a reminder of this. People love Broadway. Broadway says a lot about New York City when it is running. It’s clear that Broadway is returning tonight.
But, productions soon began to receive full audiences on September 14, and they either halted operations or felt the effects of the economic pandemic.
Aladdin cancelled its September 29 performance, just one day after people were finally able purchase tickets again. Chicken and Biscuits followed quickly and was forced to close early because of financial difficulties.
Bill de Blasio (outgoing New York City mayor) announced Broadway’s opening on September 14. He stated that “You can feel life returning to the city,” after which shows could resume.
On September 14, 14 years before the Omnicron virus of coronavirus struck the U.S.A., shows began to welcome their audiences back at full capacity.
The Richard Rogers theatre audience cheers for Hamilton’s actors after the performance. Broadway shows reopen for live audiences again after having been closed more than one year because of the spread of coronavirus.
The musical Ms. Doubtfire was about to make its Broadway debut before Broadway announced that they would be cancelling some of their upcoming performances.
Producers who are already struggling to make profits in an industry where there is more show cancellations than success have found it frustrating and costly.
A show that brings in about $1 million per week would have a loss of approximately $125,000 for each cancelled performance.
Weekend cancellations are more difficult due to the general trend of having more people in rooms. Due to Broadway’s tradition of a high number of audiences, cancellations around holidays are more expensive.
Chicago, Broadway’s 2nd longest running show, and Wicked were also cancelled. This was due to COVID-19 cases among both the production companies.
Broadway established strict COVID-19 safety and health guidelines in response to city guidelines.
Most shows can only be attended by fully-vaccinated people. Masks must also be worn in theaters. All staff and performers must be vaccinated.
As Broadway musicals resume after 18 months of darkness due to the coronavirus epidemic, people show proof that they have been vaccinated when they arrive at “The Lion King”, September 14th 2021 at Minskoff Theatre in New York.
Broadway established strict COVID-19 safety and health guidelines in response to city guidelines. Shows cannot be attended by people who have not been vaccinated. Masks must also be worn in theaters. All staff and performers need to be immunized.
However, there are other performing arts venues that have begun to tighten their control over the immunization status of their staff.
On Wednesday, the Metropolitan Opera stated that booster shots would be required for employees as well as audience members starting in January 2017.
The number of cases in the US is continuing to rise, increasing 46 percent over the last two weeks, to 121 687 per day. In the last two weeks, more than 67,000 patients have been admitted to hospital for the virus. This is an increase of 22 percent. The number of deaths is increasing by 40 percent, with the average daily rate at 1,300.
Johns Hopkins reported Wednesday morning that there were 50,251,149 cases of COVID-19 and 800,867 deaths in America since March 2020, when the pandemic began.