Could Broadway Shut Down Again?

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 11/20/21 at 10:23am

https://pix11.com/news/local-news/hochul-warns-of-more-covid-restrictions-if-ny-numbers-dont-dip/

I know nobody wants to even consider this for second, and I post this at risk of being called a "Debbie downer." But this was not a fun headline to come across this morning, and the first thing that crossed my mind when I saw it, of course, was the impact it could have on Broadway.

I personally don't see how Broadway survives another shutdown, even if it lasts a fraction as long as the last one lasted.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/20/21 at 10:26am

The first sentence of the article tells you this has nothing to do with Broadway or NYC, in general. 
 

“Gov. Kathy Hochul says New Yorkers in upstate communities seeing upticks in COVID-19 cases could again face more pandemic restrictions if infection rates fail to drop.”

 

 

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 11/20/21 at 10:30am

I get that, but it would also seem to indicate that restrictions could be in the future for any communities that end up seeing upticks this winter, even if they aren't necessarily right now.

Believe me, I hope it doesn't happen (and, logically, I don't think it will). But after the last two years, can you blame anyone for being anxious?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 11/20/21 at 10:32am

This may pertain to upstate theaters but the situation here in the Broadway community is distressing. I've been lucky but friends of mine have traveled in to NYC only to learn that the show they had tickets for was canceled.  One poor guy had it happen to him for both LACKAWANA BLUES and CHICKEN AND BISCUITS. I had recommended both plays to him, too.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/20/21 at 10:34am

No, but parts of upstate are basically Alabama compared to the City so they need to be treated like children for refusing to protect themselves and others. Meanwhile here on Broadway with close to 30 shows open and thousands of people employed again we’ve had TWO cases where a show had to postpone performances which, I don’t think I’m alone here, is faaar less than I think anyone would have ever predicted. 


 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 11/20/21 at 10:35am

Dollypop said: "This may pertain to upstate theaters but the situation here in the Broadway community is distressing. I've been lucky but friends of mine have traveled in to NYC only to learn that the show they had tickets for was canceled. One poor guy had it happen to him for both LACKAWANA BLUES and CHICKEN AND BISCUITS. I had recommended both plays to him, too."

To be fair, “Lackawana Blues” was cancelled due to injury. 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 11/20/21 at 10:42am

Fully understood, but tell that to a guy who traveled 2 1/2 hours on a train to get there.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 11/20/21 at 11:02am

Mandating the booster feels like the next big step, since there are some people who had both initial shots who are now hesitant to get boosted. Checking for vaccine status doesn't take the booster into consideration. 

All this fear doesn't help with audience hesitancy to go to the theatre. I know we are all expecting a lot of closing announcements to happen after Thanksgiving for January. Capacity restrictions are basically the only thing that could shut down the whole industry again. And even then, some smaller shows might still be able to continue running with limited crowds + higher prices for a limited time.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 11/20/21 at 12:12pm

BroadwayRox3588 said: "I get that, but it would also seem to indicate that restrictions could be in the future for any communities that end up seeing upticks this winter, even if they aren't necessarily right now.

Believe me, I hope it doesn't happen (and, logically, I don't think it will). But after the last two years, can you blame anyone for being anxious?"

Blame is a strong word, but you are certainly spreading fear in relation to an article that has absolutely no commentary on NYC Covid restrictions. Broadway requiring masks and vaccinations is more precaution than most parts of the country are following for many things, including upstate NY. So, no, I do not think you could read this and assume what’s next is a Broadway shutdown. It is not going to happen, especially given the “evidence” in this article. 

[TaffyDavenport]

Posted: 11/20/21 at 12:37pm

I saw a post on Twitter commenting that NYC theatres requiring vaccinations and masks are some of the safest places to be right now, and I tend to agree with them. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 11/20/21 at 12:48pm

As noted, the city has more restrictions than upstate. Broadway has further restrictions. I can see the city expanding restrictions to the Broadway standards (e.g., telling Jim Dolan to keep his Long Island idiocy out of the five boroughs), but that of course would have no effect on Broadway, and neither would the same rules applied statewide. If you read the governor's twitter feed, you'll discover that posts from upstate are asking her why tf these rules are not in force when you can see the 800% difference in positivity (and significantly higher vax rates) between the city and upstate. The data in the theatre-going parts of the city is that we have very high vax rates, very low case rates, and incredibly small hospitalization rates among the vaccinated. We are doing the restrictions others are sitting around arguing about, and they are allowing us to have theatre that feels like the safest space we can be in anywhere in America. NB that the very few cancellations have not to my knowledge implicated audiences at all and also that the unfortunate lengthier shutdown (C&B) was a function of restrictions on cast that relates to management labor protocols that are designed to address the higher degree of risk facing maskless performers. We are doing great and unless something changes greatly what we have here is a model for what others around the world need to be doing to avoid the bad news that we are seeing in many places.

Updated On: 11/20/21 at 12:48 PM

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 11/28/21 at 6:39am

I hate to be the one to say it...but I'm going to be the one to say it. If the Omicron variant is as bad as some fear it might be (vaccine resistant/more transmissible than Delta), that would seem like really bad news for Broadway. And like I said before, I don't know how Broadway would survive another shutdown.

Gonna be a nerve-racking few weeks, while we await data. I suppose we should get all our shows in now.

Updated On: 11/28/21 at 06:39 AM

[Here I Am]

Posted: 11/28/21 at 7:44am

Try as hard as you can to relax, BroadwayRox. I understand the fear, but Broadway has been making the right decisions in regards to safety. I think another shutdown is unlikely. 

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 11/28/21 at 8:12am

Here I Am said: "Try as hard as you can to relax, BroadwayRox. I understand the fear, but Broadway has been making the right decisions in regards to safety. I think another shutdown is unlikely."

Thank you for responding with kindness and empathy, rather than unnecessary snark (as I'm sure some will). This whole thing just sucks.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 11/28/21 at 8:28am

Early signs point to this being another Delta variant. Ultimately it comes down to if the vaccines can also block this new variant. Still think another shutdown is unlikely as it would truly cripple Broadway.

[Here I Am]

Posted: 11/28/21 at 10:10am

BroadwayRox3588 said: "Here I Am said: "Try as hard as you can to relax, BroadwayRox. I understand the fear, but Broadway has been making the right decisions in regards to safety. I think another shutdown is unlikely."

Thank you for responding with kindness and empathy, rather than unnecessary snark (as I'm sure some will). This whole thing just sucks."

Of course! I completely understand your fear and the entire situation does indeed suck. You have to take it one day at a time. That’s all any of us can do. If you ever need to talk, I’m here. :) 

 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 11/28/21 at 10:25am

It certainly is scary, and I share your fear. I am just trying to take it one day at a time and take solace in the fact that scientists know more about COVID now than they did before. 

[Here I Am]

Posted: 11/28/21 at 10:49am

bwayphreak234 said: "It certainly is scary, and I share your fear. I am just trying to take it one day at a time and take solace in the fact that scientists know more about COVID now than they did before."

Absolutely! 100%

[HogansHero]

Posted: 11/28/21 at 10:52am

Anything "could" happen, but realistically the more likely scenario is that international travel will again be put on hold and masks will become mandatory in more situations and indoor dining could go away again. The expectation is that the existing vaccines will have decent effectiveness and, if needed, omicron boosters will be available early in the new year. There is no more reason to be scared than there has been for almost 2 years. In those areas where vax rates are pathetic, it's pretty obvious there will be another large surge. The virus will keep doing its thing as long as people keep being stupid. It's not rocket science. All of that said, I expect Broadway to be pretty limited this winter, but I was expecting that before this latest development.

[JasonC3]

Posted: 11/28/21 at 11:35am

From The Guardian about the new variant:

Is there any difference in the symptoms people are reporting?

According to Dr Angelique Coetzee, who runs a private practice in Pretoria, South Africa, the Omicron patients she has seen have presented with relatively mild symptoms, and none of the loss of taste of smell typically associated with Covid-19. Instead, they have had reported unusual symptoms, such as intense fatigue and a high pulse rate. However, it is far too soon to know if these anecdotal reports will be true of everyone who is infected with Omicron.

How could it play out in the coming weeks?

Within the next month, we should have a far better idea of how contagious Omicron is, and whether or not it is associated with more severe disease. We should also know the extent to which it has been contained, or if it has spread more widely, as is expected by many scientists. Perhaps most important, will be the results of those ongoing experiments to test how effectively antibodies neutralise the new variant. Real-world data on reinfection rates will also give a clearer indication on the extent of any change in immunity. Until we have all of this data, it makes sense to remain cautious and reimpose some restrictions to limit Omicron’s spread.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 11/28/21 at 12:33pm

Just like with Delta, we will deal with this new variant the same way. Broadway won't be shutting down again, but Im certain many shows will be gone by January, unfortunately. They jumped the gun too quickly this Fall. 

[fosterfan2]

Posted: 11/28/21 at 12:37pm

bwayphreak234 said: "It certainly is scary, and I share your fear. I am just trying to take it one day at a time and take solace in the fact that scientists know more about COVID now than they did before."

And we also have better leadership now.

 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 11/28/21 at 12:38pm

Sutton Ross said: "Just like with Delta, we will deal with this new variant the same way. Broadway won't be shutting down again, but Im certain many shows will be gone by January, unfortunately. They jumped the gun too quickly this Fall."

Which means at this point, we could possibly see several short-notice closing announcements, which really sucks. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 11/28/21 at 12:43pm

Jordan Levinson said: "Which means at this point, we could possibly see several short-notice closing announcements, which really sucks."

To reiterate: it was always thus. From the beginning it has been clear that very few shows could weather the winter once the SVOG funds run out. While there were certainly those who suggested otherwise, most non-naive people have been planning on less than a dozen survivors. I think I have been saying somewhere between 6-9 for the better part of the year. What truly sucks will be if the false economics drives a reluctance in the spring to open shows for which there would have been logical enthusiasm. I pray that we somehow avoid that fate.
 

Updated On: 11/28/21 at 12:43 PM

[quizking101]

Posted: 11/28/21 at 12:49pm

Working as a nurse, I could already tell the winter was going to be a hard season, even with vaccinations - which is why I knocked off 11 shows in two months. (I’m also having surgery next week so that will take me out.)

To me, the unusual symptoms that were reported don’t seem all that beyond the pale since previous reports of COVID have included some cardiac issues and definitely fatigue amongst people. It’s just possible the new variant now increases what used to be rare side effects (cardiac) to the forefront. We won’t really know for a few weeks what impact this will have but it’s likely smarter to assume the variant is already here and to ensure you are taking all protections with vaccinations, boosters, and masking.

That being said, Broadway cannot survive another full scale shutdown since it will likely take out nearly everything that has reopened and the government likely won’t have the money to help prop up the industry again.