Broadway theaters, one of New York’s major attractions, closed since March due to a pandemic, will remain closed until at least January 2021, the trade association The Broadway League said on Monday.
All theaters ” now offer refunds or exchanges for tickets purchased for performances scheduled before January 3 “, Said the association in a statement, without giving a firm date of reopening.
« Our members work closely with unions, experts and great minds within and outside the theater world to (…) identify and implement measures that will allow performances to resume safely for the public. and employees Said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League.
« The alchemy by which 1000 people come together and form an audience that nourishes each of the artists will be possible when the theaters can be safely full again. », Explained Thomas Schumacher, chairman of the board of the Broadway League.
$ 33 million in weekly revenue
« The safety of the artists, the production, the orchestras and the audience is our first priority and we will only return to the stage when it is safe. One thing is certain, when we come back, we will be stronger and we will be needed more than ever ».
Broadway theaters were performing until they closed on March 12, some $ 33 million in weekly revenue. Professionals can no longer count on unemployment benefits for weeks. Until then, some still hoped for a reopening in September of these theaters which attract millions of tourists to New York each year..
If the epidemic in the American economic capital has ebbed a lot since the peak recorded in April, the contamination rate is very high in other American states, with record contamination figures recorded in particular in Florida and Texas in recent days.
« Broadway’s business model is such that social distancing is impossible Charlotte St. Martin warned in May. ” Even with venues 50% full, a show couldn’t pay its bills ».
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