Delta Variant and Broadway- Page 8

[jlindsey865]

Posted: 7/26/21 at 10:38am

The New York Times "The Daily" podcast had a great episode about vaccinations and breakthrough cases.  The vaccine was never intended to eradicate the virus, it was to GREATLY decrease the risk of serious illness and death.

Our main source of protections from serious illness and/or death is vaccination.  I am so encouraged that NYC announced this morning that vaccines will be required for city employees.  Although, I know that theatre workers are not considered municipal workers, I hope that this is a step towards a vaccine requirement in more public settings.

Updated On: 7/26/21 at 10:38 AM

[IAMREADING]

Posted: 7/26/21 at 12:40pm

jlindsey865 said: "I am so encouraged that NYC announced this morning that vaccines will be required for city employees."

Unfortunately, I don't think this is true. It is vaccine or take a weekly COVID test. 

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 7/26/21 at 12:42pm

That Daily episode was very interesting. I think that the there is a big possibility of there being mask mandates at theaters now when they re-open in the fall, but I am sure people would much rather mask up for a few months than have to delay any further. 

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 7/26/21 at 12:44pm

Masks makes sense but then there will be people eating and drinking so close together so then it almost makes no sense.

Stuff evolved so quickly I feel like it’s hard to plan. Who would have thought we’d have all the crazy Republicans telling everyone to get vaccinated.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/26/21 at 12:48pm

Unfortunately, I don't think this is true. It is vaccine or take a weekly COVID test.

Correct. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/26/21 at 1:02pm

Can't see the unvaccinated people who have tickets willing to fork over another $50 for a COVID test. Seems like Broadway (at first) will be mostly vaccinated with a mask requirement.

Posted: 7/26/21 at 1:02pm

SouthernCakes said: "Stuff evolved so quickly I feel like it’s hard to plan. Who would have thought we’d have all the crazy Republicans telling everyone to get vaccinated."

They realized that every unvaccinated person is eventually going to get COVID and did the math on how elections will turn out if they lose 1-2% of their most dedicated voters.

[jlindsey865]

Posted: 7/26/21 at 1:19pm

IAMREADING said: "jlindsey865 said: "I am so encouraged that NYC announced this morning that vaccines will be required for city employees."

Unfortunately, I don't think this is true. It is vaccine or take a weeklyCOVID test."

Thanks for pointing that out!  My brain thought I added that caveat in when typing the message, but clearly I didn’t.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/26/21 at 2:00pm

Things will continue to evolve for theatre reopenings. In Covid-world time, it's still a long time before the significant reopenings start. And as of now, no one has suggested people will be let into theatres without vax. I think this will become more rather than less the clearly the case as we approach Labor Day. I think we are headed towards the Macron system, and I think the city's decision may seem quaint before long. We shall see. 

ETA: Patience.

Updated On: 7/26/21 at 02:00 PM

[Fosse76]

Posted: 7/26/21 at 6:15pm

jlindsey865 said: "I am so encouraged that NYC announced this morning that vaccines will be required for city employees. Although, I know that theatre workers are not considered municipal workers, I hope that this is a step towards a vaccine requirement in more public settings."

On Friday, the Shuberts notified its employees that ANY person employed inside its theaters (whether theater employees, bar staff, merchandise, production/actors, etc.) MUST be fully vaccinated before they can enter any theater building (office staff and subsidiary organizations will also be required to be vaccinated). The Nederlanders are also requiring theater staff to be fully vaccinated (though I don't know if it will apply to merchandise and/or production/actors, also).

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/26/21 at 7:38pm

Fosse76 said: "jlindsey865 said: "I am so encouraged that NYC announced this morning that vaccines will be required for city employees. Although, I know that theatre workers are not considered municipal workers, I hope that this is a step towards a vaccine requirement in more public settings."

On Friday, the Shuberts notified its employees that ANY person employed inside its theaters (whether theateremployees, bar staff, merchandise, production/actors, etc.) MUST be fully vaccinated before they can enter any theater building (office staff and subsidiary organizations will also be required to be vaccinated). The Nederlanders are also requiring theater staff to be fully vaccinated (though I don't know if it will apply to merchandise and/or production/actors, also)."

Not all employees have been notified yet. Spoke to a friend over at Shubert after I read your post. 
 

Updated On: 7/26/21 at 07:38 PM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 7/26/21 at 9:44pm

Fosse76 said: "jlindsey865 said: "I am so encouraged that NYC announced this morning that vaccines will be required for city employees. Although, I know that theatre workers are not considered municipal workers, I hope that this is a step towards a vaccine requirement in more public settings."

On Friday, the Shuberts notified its employees that ANY person employed inside its theaters (whether theateremployees, bar staff, merchandise, production/actors, etc.) MUST be fully vaccinated before they can enter any theater building (office staff and subsidiary organizations will also be required to be vaccinated). The Nederlanders are also requiring theater staff to be fully vaccinated (though I don't know if it will apply to merchandise and/or production/actors, also)."

I reached out to one of the merch sellers for SIX on the latest regarding Nederlander policies, and he told me that "we are all fully vaccinated, casts included."

This is a great sign!

[Fosse76]

Posted: 7/26/21 at 10:36pm

uncageg said: "Not all employees have been notified yet. Spoke to a friend over at Shubert after I read your post."

Well, I don't know what to tell your friend...but they definitely sent it out via email. I'm not sure if they will also notify by letter. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 7/26/21 at 11:10pm

Fosse76 said: "uncageg said: "Not all employees have been notified yet. Spoke to a friend over at Shubert after I read your post."

Well, I don't know what to tell your friend...but they definitely sent it out via email. I'm not sure if they will also notify by letter."

Check you PM's

 

[jo]

Posted: 7/27/21 at 7:22pm

I am hoping that the new health scare does not worsen much, much more and does not further delay the return of Broadway!  It is even worse for overseas Broadway tourists -- there are more uncertainties involved (entry to the USA&NewYork requirements such as vaccination&tests protocols/potential for quarantine requirements re-issue/ price movements for airlines & hotels, etc). But we try to be optimistic while being aware of how fluid the situation could be. Thus, we are planning our trips as further away into the future as possible and still catch Broadway and New York City tour offerings. 

Before the pandemic in late 2019, Hugh Jackman made a musical ode to NYC and Broadway as part of his music tour.  Not sure if that was in a sense ominous... but I try to revisit clips from the show and think that there is so much to look forward to ( one of the few things one could think/dream about while waiting for the weary and interminable pandemic time to pass). Hope I do not have to re-date my MusicMan tickets bought in late 2019  and airline/hotel reservations all over again. I have also pinpointed other shows to see but have not bought tickets yet, preferring to wait until things become a bit more positive. Here's the clip from Hugh's show - which inspires the trip to a city where I once worked and where I discovered Broadway!

Clip shown on next post, please!

Updated On: 7/27/21 at 07:22 PM

[jo]

Posted: 7/27/21 at 7:23pm

 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/27/21 at 8:07pm

I doubt the international travel restrictions will lift by September for America, so Broadway will heavily rely on domestic tourists pretty exclusively for the Fall. The "peak" of this goddamn Delta variant will be in September/October according to a few doctors but hopefully Broadway will understand that hiring 10 understudies is cheaper than canceling shows.  

[jo]

Posted: 7/27/21 at 8:14pm

My tickets for MusicMan are for June 2022 and I am hoping to see other shows around that time ( except in some cases like Mockingbird they are not yet booking  up to that  time). All other arrangements are also tentatively booked for that time (airline and hotel prices are rising though) and I took the "Cancellable" options in both cases. It is such a long wait but I think it may work better for me in the long run (  maybe I might even have to get the booster vaccination shot by that time, if required).

But not to have anything planned makes the pandemic waiting even more interminable.

 

Updated On: 7/27/21 at 08:14 PM

[Braniff Forever]

Posted: 7/27/21 at 8:29pm

I’ve been following this thread since creating it last week, and I hope the Broadway league makes an announcement to the public soon about what’s going to happen. I’d be willing to sit in the theater with a mask, but would it be ok for the performers to perform onstage without masks? I mean if everyone in the theater (audience, staff, performers) have been vaccinated, aren’t we able to safely have the theater?

Just thinking out loud and hoping for the best. Idk. There seems to be no easy answer, so that’s why I bet the Broadway League has been mum as of late. They probably don’t know what to say. Who knows what the right answer is?

[JasonC3]

Posted: 7/27/21 at 8:32pm

Dr. Scott Gottleib said the Delta variant may peak in late August or early September.

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/07/22/dr-scott-gottlieb-says-the-covid-delta-spike-may-peak-in-late-august.html

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/27/21 at 8:36pm

That's good to hear, the article I read was predicting later, which I mentioned above. 

The current COVID-19 surge in the U.S. — fueled by the highly contagious delta variant — will steadily accelerate through the summer and fall, peaking in mid-October, with daily deaths more than triple what they are now.

That's according to new projections released Wednesday from the COVID-19 Scenario Modeling Hub, a consortium of researchers working in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help the agency track the course of the pandemic.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/07/22/1019475669/delta-variant-will-drive-a-steep-rise-in-covid-deaths-model-shows

Updated On: 7/27/21 at 08:36 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 7/27/21 at 8:39pm

I’d be willing to sit in the theater with a mask, but would it be ok for the performers to perform onstage without masks?

I think that is one of the reasons they are taking the first few rows out of the theaters. I think there needs to be at least 10 feet between cast and audience. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/27/21 at 8:42pm

We’ll need to watch what’s happening in the UK next week for an idea of what’s to come here. Their “freedom day” a little over a week ago among rising cases is surprising a lot of people right now because Covid cases have been on a steady decline every day this past week, not rising.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 7/27/21 at 9:29pm

Jordan Catalano said: "We’ll need to watch what’s happening in the UK next week for an idea of what’s to come here. Their “freedom day” a little over a week ago among rising cases is surprising a lot of people right now because Covid cases have been on a steady decline every day this past week, not rising."

I don't think the situations are necessarily analogous because the protocols are different. We will be making theatre in a fully vaccinated environment and of course the timelines are different as well. I think we will make it happen logistically. My fear continues to be that I think a lot of shows are not going to make it financially and that could have lasting effects. One other passing observation: "peaking" epidimiologically is a plot point, not a finish line. I expect the fall and winter to be a slog audience wise for quite a few of the shows that are scheduled, even if we have zero shows down because of breakthrough infections. 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 7/27/21 at 9:51pm

I wasn’t saying that to have any kind of connection to theater just that since the beginning we’ve watched (mainly European cities) as a guide to what could happen here.