Hamilton, The Lion King, Chicago: The most famous musicals played on Broadway made their comeback Tuesday, new symbol of a more normal life in New York after 18 months of interruption due to the coronavirus pandemic. Coming with her daughter from Boston, Jenni Milanoski has been in line since 5:30 am Tuesday morning to hope to buy a ticket to Hamilton, at the Richard Rodgers Theater, near Times Square. “I love this show so much. I saw it 11 times. The energy that there will be today, it will be grandiose, ”she told AFP.
Broadway theaters have been gradually reopening since early September, but several of the most popular shows resume on Tuesday. “It’s a big night for the return trip from New York City,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio, the day after the MET gala, the social event which had not taken place since May 2019 and which was able to be held on Monday evening, bringing a cohort of stars back to the city.
In Times Square, the return of Broadway is also symbolized by the reopening of the kiosk on Tuesday, which allows you to buy tickets the same day and hope for some discounts on the price of seats. On average, a ticket exceeds $ 100.
Vaccination obligation
All spectators have an obligation to be vaccinated, as do artists, technicians and theater personnel. Spectators must also wear a mask during the performance. “I think I will feel a lot more comfortable. We have copies of our vaccination cards that we used to get into a few restaurants here in New York without a problem, so it’s okay, ”said Angela Mecca, 65, from upstate New York. “We try to come every year to see a few plays, so the fact that it’s reopening is wonderful. We missed it. There is no excitement like that, ”she added.
Broadway was generating around $ 33 million in revenue per week from 31 shows before Covid-19 shut down this New York cultural lung. The pandemic has killed some 34,000 people in the cultural and economic capital of the United States.
The Lion King is sold out
The resumption of shows comes as the city still suffers from a huge shortage of tourists, especially foreigners, who normally make up two-thirds of the Broadway audience. But producers say they are optimistic, convinced that theaters will fill up thanks to New Yorkers and American tourists.
On the website Broadway.com, The Lion King is sold out on Tuesday and Wednesday. “When we look at the postal codes of people who buy tickets, it encourages us, they come from all over the East Coast”, assured her side last week to AFP Sue Frost, one of the producers of the musical. “Come from away”. For its resumption, on September 21, the play, which evokes the attacks of September 11, 2001, is also sold out.
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