By Howard M. Riell
Billy Joel’s famous lyrics – “I’ve seen the lights go out on Broadway” – are shockingly coming to fruition.
Broadway shows have been suspended for the next month. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo today made public his administration’s plan to stop gatherings of more than 500 people.
The Broadway stoppage goes into effect at 5 p.m. today.
During an anxious press conference, Governor Cuomo said that though the timing was short, “we’ve already been talking to the Broadway theaters, and they’re aware we’re going to be doing this, so they have notice.”
Just two days ago, an usher who had a hand in a pair of Broadway shows reportedly tested positive for the coronavirus. He has since been quarantined. According to officials, he worked last week at performances of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The previous week, he was on hand for a pair of performances of the musical Six.
In a statement released by representatives of both The Shubert Organization and the Nederlander Organization — each owns one of the theaters at which the usher worked – they said “Immediately upon learning of the positive test, both organizations began taking every step necessary to ensure the safety of our audiences, performers, crew, and building staff.”
Both theaters have been deep-cleaned, and management was “closely following all protocols related to containment and prevention,” including informing all employees who may have been exposed and urging all high-risk audience members to “monitor their health diligently.”
The decision is “a reversal of sorts for Broadway,” the Guardian opined, “which seemed to anticipate a financial hit from the virus but have kept tickets on sale. Trade group The Broadway League, who held an emergency closed-door meeting today, previously reassured customers in a statement that “We have significantly increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting in all public and backstage areas beyond the standard daily schedule, and we have added alcohol-based sanitizer dispensers for public use in the lobby of every theatre. The League also discouraged anyone experiencing cold or flu symptoms from attending performances.”
Only a couple of days ago, New York City’s Mayor, Bill de Blasio, said he was hopeful about keeping Broadway’s lights on: “I don’t want to see Broadway go dark if we can avoid it. I want to see if we can strike some kind of balance,” he told CNN.
West Side Story producer Scott Rudin made headlines days ago when he cut prices for five shows to only $50. “These are shows that are playing to fantastically healthy business,” he told The Hollywood Reporter in an interview. “My partners and I want the buildings full – even, and especially, during this crisis – and this is the way to ensure it … I want no deadwood in these buildings – and my colleagues and I want to give people the chance to see these shows when they otherwise might not be able to afford tickets or to even get tickets.”
