Summer of freedom? New York before the hoped-for corona breakthrough

More and more New Yorkers are being vaccinated – a metropolis dreams of a return to full life, the artists of their audience. Is there a legendary summer ahead?

–

–

When the sun rises over Manhattan these spring days, there is something in the big city air, a New Yorker said recently. The streets are full, as are the subways and bars, the conversations of passers-by seem more exuberant, groups of friends populate the parks, plan excursions, trips and the first house parties. This is how it must feel when a metropolis slowly breathes a sigh of relief after a year of corona nightmare.

The spirit of optimism increases with every vaccinated person – despite the high number of infections. The artists of the US east coast metropolis yearn for their audience. Only a few more weeks, they believe, and New York will be back. What could follow: a summer as if in a frenzy.

In any case, the wooden doors from “Bitter End” are open again. Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan once went in and out of the legendary Greenwich Village club – in times when bad air and dripping sweat were typical features of live New York shows. In the 60th year of the “Bitter End”, that will be different for the time being, because the city’s Corona requirements only allowed a few dozen instead of a few hundred visitors to attend the first concert after the reopening. But at least: The concerts are back!

“I think I’ll appreciate performing a lot more.”

New York singer-songwriter Samantha Echo is also planning her return to the city’s stages in “Bitter End”. Her first concert is to take place here in August, she says. And she is looking forward to the year that promises to end the pandemic: “Our hands were tied for so long,” says Echo. “I think I’ll appreciate performing a lot more.” After the tough times – life in New York was shut down over a year ago with a lockdown – artists in the metropolis will be valued even more in the future, she believes.

Echo is only in his early 30s, but like so many in New York, already fully vaccinated. The minimum age for registration was recently lowered to 16, and the appointments at the dozen vaccination centers are also fully booked at night. Almost half of the residents over 18 years of age in the metropolis of millions have already received at least one vaccine dose. The campaign is making great strides – there are only worries that a considerable number of vaccine skeptics or a mutation could destroy the dream of post-corona freedom.

The lines of infection remain at a worrying level.

Meanwhile, the number of infections remains worryingly high, but experts expect a possible relaxation from May. Even if the state of New York will probably stick to some restrictions for months: The party mood is likely to rise week after week. The first plans for smaller private celebrations are already being made. Discos are reopening their outdoor area – and underground some have never stopped partying.

Broadway is also on its way to freedom, albeit in miniature steps: Recently, 150 spectators attended a half-hour test show in the St. James Theater, which actually holds 1,700 people. A sign of life for all 41 houses on Broadway, for which the resurrection will be particularly difficult.

“The worst thing for us was that we couldn’t play any more theater,” explains Annie Hägg. The actress welcomes you in the kitchen of her apartment on the Upper East Side, which she has converted into a makeshift studio for video auditions.

Before the pandemic, she had good roles – including in the series “Hunters”. Then everything collapsed for a few months. “Nobody knew what happened to him,” recalls the 30-year-old. The good thing is that film and television will be producing subject to conditions again in the fall. But to this day, Hägg completes all auditions from her apartment – she is almost never with other actors.

The selection processes for new plays are picking up speed again these days. And Hägg is full of hope that he will soon be able to play roles on the classical stage again, alongside her colleagues. What is she personally looking forward to most in the coming months? “Parties!” She bursts out. “We used to have so many parties. And I love being a host ”.

New Yorkers hope 2021 will be the year of celebrations, exhibitions, concerts and shows. It could be a summer in which the residents are, for once, among themselves, due to the lack of international tourism. And singer Samatha Echo also electrifies the prospect of a time of freedom: “People will just be so happy to be able to get out again and be so much nicer to each other. I think so anyway. But maybe I’m naive. “

– .