Roundabout Is Planning On Late Sept/Early Oct

[220Basswood]

Posted: 6/15/20 at 2:54pm

For anyone who has Roundabout tickets I wanted to let people know that I contacted Roundabout today about September shows.  I know the odds of me being able to see The Music Man and Take Me Out in September are beyond slim but I had hoped to at least be able to see the Roundabout show.  However, Roundabout said it is shooting for a late September or early October startup but the person made clear they are not "stepping into" the theater until it is safe to do so.  I didn't ask if safe meant a vaccine or something else because what the person told me said I won't be seeing anything when I had originally planned to be in New York.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 6/15/20 at 3:04pm

Take Me Out was always going to end in June, so seeing it in September would have been impossible. I think they are aiming for next Spring. If the city is in Phase 4 in September (judging by the photos and crowds Ive seen drinking on streets with no masks on, I doubt it), then they will try to figure out the best plan for theater. Off Broadway will open way before Broadway due to the size of the theater. They may be able to make it work, although the thought of wearing a mask for hours in a theater is incredibly unappealing to me. Here's hoping!

[Dionysus3]

Posted: 6/15/20 at 3:08pm

0% chance this happens.

[Broadway Joe]

Posted: 6/15/20 at 3:09pm

They might be aiming for it but it's absolutely not going to happen.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 6/15/20 at 3:43pm

Everything is planning on late September or early October at this point.  But I think it's more than likely that won't be happening.  Although I actually could envision a scenario in which the Laura Pels is able to open by then if NYC keeps trending in the right direction.  But Roundabout's Broadway houses almost assuredly won't be.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 6/15/20 at 4:32pm

We are waiting for NYC COVID cases to spike  in 3...2...1. So this is not going to happen. If anything I expect we may see some re-shutting down in Manhattan before it all re-opens again.

Seriously, we are realistically still the better part of a year away from Broadway returning.

[kaykordeath]

Posted: 6/15/20 at 6:29pm

At the end of April, Mayor DiBlasio proclaimed that the City and Macy's were still planning on going forward with SOME VERSION of the July 4th Fireworks.

It was hinted at/assumed at the time, that there would be SOME sort of changes to account for social distancing. Perhaps Macy's would forego their ticketed staging area. Perhaps other steps would have been taken to encourage home/tv viewing.

But now, almost 2 months later, no details have been provided. With 20 days left until the 4th.

So, perhaps they will proceed business as usual. With people lining up along the river to view. A sort of ushering in of Phase 3, if we're lucky?

If that's the case, all bets are off for any following large scale gatherings. Certainly for outdoor events. Street fairs, parades, sporting events, and concerts.

And from there, for better or worse, whether wise or not, it's not that far of a stretch to imagine theater returning after that.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 6/15/20 at 6:34pm

None of those things you mentioned will happen in phase 3. NYC is still in phase 1, and I doubt will be in phase 3 for the 4th of July. He meant you can watch the fireworks at home. That's it.

[kaykordeath]

Posted: 6/15/20 at 7:13pm

I'm absolutely sure that his was intention.

But our neighbors are showing us, this week, that they're not going to play by those rules.

Look at the articles talking about the crowds outside bars this week. And Cuomo's threats to lower the hammer if it keeps up. I suspect it will. But I don't know how he'll follow through.

At 2 weeks per phase, Phase 2 could hit 6/22, putting Phase 3 on 7/6. I don't think it's THAT far out of the question that they'd "celebrate" the numbers by starting the phase at the start of the weekend on Saturday the 4th.

But, regardless of the naming convention of the Phase, if those fireworks go off, people WILL go to see them.

Maybe not you or I, but enough people will.

And, I'm afraid, that if they do, the dominoes are going to continue to fall.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 6/15/20 at 7:58pm

Two weeks per phase is only the estimated time. They can drag phase 1 out as long as possible if numbers go up. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/15/20 at 11:03pm

I am reluctant to jump back into this but...

First of all, DeBlasio said he expected Phase 2 around the 4th, not Phase 3. 

Second, the Governor, not the Mayor, decides the phases.

Third, no matter when the Governor decides we are in Phase 4, there is still the matter of the unions. 

Fourth, no matter when the unions decide theatre can move forward, there is the little matter of getting a show ready for audiences. This doesn't just magically happen. 

I could add ten more paragraphs but what's the point? I really don't want to say something I said I would let rest, but this is all delusional. 

Oh and about those people outside bars (including some that even set up tables) and what Cuomo can do about it? Easy. He can have them shut down in a New York minute. He's is not going to have come this far only to lose in the end.  

[SmoothLover]

Posted: 6/15/20 at 11:38pm

I agree with a Hogan on this one.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 6/16/20 at 3:29am

Is there anything stopping Cuomo from forcing masks in Public Spaces? 

[willep]

Posted: 6/16/20 at 4:53am

RippedMan said: "Is there anything stopping Cuomo from forcing masks in Public Spaces?"

There is no way to enforce that though.

[itsjustmejonhotmailcom]

Posted: 6/16/20 at 12:26pm

220Basswood said: "For anyone who has Roundabout tickets I wanted to let people know that Icontacted Roundabout today about September shows. I know the odds of me being able to see The Music Man and Take Me Out in September are beyond slim but I had hoped to at least be able to see the Roundabout show. However, Roundabout said it is shooting for a late September or early October startup but the person made clear they are not "stepping into" the theater until it is safe to do so. I didn't ask if safe meant a vaccine or something else because what the person told me said I won't be seeing anything when I had originally planned to be in New York."

I can pretty much guarantee that someone working in Roundabout's call center is not privy to their tentative reopening plans and was speculating - something they were likely told not to do.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/16/20 at 1:16pm

willep said: "RippedMan said: "Is there anything stopping Cuomo from forcing masks in Public Spaces?"

There is no way to enforce that though."

If by public spaces you mean sidewalks, then no, nor in general is there a reason to. (If you mean in other public spaces that are open to the public then yes, and there are such rules in effect, enforced through the premises operator. But on sidewalks, there is also an ability to prevent people from congregating and that is happening (even though of course the media prefers to take pics of places where it is not). And in those instances where premises (especially bars) are flouting the rules by setting up seating, there are easy ways to remedy that because the establishments can be closed down. As I said above, no way Cuomo lets this get away from him but at the same time there is no need for draconian measures. 

[kaykordeath]

Posted: 6/16/20 at 2:09pm

I guess I wasn't clear.

Personally, yes, I think it's exceedingly unlikely that Broadway will reopen before the end of the year.

I HOPE that it will, but I THINK that it won't.

My point was, there is so much that is so fluid and so ever-changing, and just as much being left unsaid or unclear that anything is possible at this point.
 

And that it's not difficult to see a hypothetical where SOME things fall into place sooner than would seem logical at this point.

I find it mind-boggling that the Mayor was so adamant about the Fireworks and now, with less than 20 days to go, we've heard nothing.

So, sure, the unions and producers and our industry will hopefully/ideally take things slow and cautious...but I still don't think its beyond reason to think that all event producers will be as cautious.

[QueenAlice]

Posted: 6/16/20 at 7:05pm

The Center Theatre Group, the largest not-for profit theatre in Los Angeles, just announced all programing is cancelled until April 2021.  I think thats a sobering, but realistic timeline for when we might see major theatre reopening.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/16/20 at 9:40pm

kaykordeath said: "So, sure, the unions and producers and our industry will hopefully/ideally take things slow and cautious...but I still don't think its beyond reason to think that all event producers will be as cautious."

The point is... it won't be up to them.