NEW YORK – Some of Broadway’s biggest musicals welcome audiences this week after a lengthy shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
After nearly 18 months, Broadway is back and also the theater fan favorite way to get discounted tickets.
The iconic TKTS booth under the red steps at Duffy Squares will reopen Tuesday and begin selling same-day and next-day tickets for Broadway and Off Broadway productions. It is the first time that the discount ticket office has opened since it closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic.
While the city’s COVID-19 safety protocols require audience members to show proof of being fully vaccinated at all indoor shows, those looking to get up to 50% off tickets will only need to physically distance themselves. while they wait in line.
“The old days of four or five people in a row against the windows are over. You will see more social distancing,” the executive director of the Theater Development Fund, Victoria Bailey, told 1010 WINS in an interview. “There will be a variety of ticket protocols. Some systems will be doing virtual tickets. Some will be doing physical tickets.”
On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, the discount box office will be open from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the hours are from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. On Sundays, fans can get tickets from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. 7 pm The booth is closed on Mondays through October, according to TDF.
Before heading to Times Square, you can check the listings in real time in the TKTS app or on their website.
Some of the shows that may have tickets available on Tuesday include “The Lion King,” “Wicked,” “Chicago,” and “Hamilton.” At the end of the month, they will be followed by “Come From Away”, “Six”, “Moulin Rouge!”, “Aladdin” and a handful of other productions.
Several productions have already welcomed a masked and fully vaccinated audience, such as “Waitress”, “Hadestown”, “Pass Over” and “Springsteen on Broadway”. Trailers for “Lackawanna Blues” will also open on Tuesday.
Broadway finally got the green light in May when former Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that productions could resume at full capacity after Labor Day. Producers and artists quickly got to work preparing for a big comeback in the fall.
“Many new protocols have been established, starting with the obligation to be vaccinated and wear masks during the performance, or for children under 12 years: a test 6 hours before or a negative PCR test 72 hours before,” said the president of the Broadway League. , Charlotte St. Martin said.
“So obviously you also add surface disinfection and all the things that go along with contact tracing. We’re doing everything our infectious disease specialist and scientist have told us to do because once we open we want to stay open and keep everyone safe, “added St. Martin.
The return of Broadway’s biggest musicals is sure to mark another substantial chapter in the city’s recovery from a devastating pandemic. Typically, the theater industry generates nearly $ 15 billion a year, according to CNBC.
Broadway World says ticket sales for the plays and musical in production the week before the close of March 2020 totaled $ 26.7 million. “Hamilton” grossed $ 2.69 million, the most of any show at the time, and “The Lion King” and “Wicked” averaged about $ 1.5 million a week in the previous weeks, CNBC said.
“Jagged Little Pill”, “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Ain’t Too Proud” have release dates set in October. The new musical “Diana” and the Michael Jackson musical “MJ” are scheduled for December.
The Broadway League says 15 shows in total will open in September, with 35 returning to the stage by the end of the year.
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