The Broadway Shutdown: What Does the Future Hold?
November 17, 2020
In March of 2020, the gorgeous, ornate theatres that lined the Theater District in New York City were shut down. Thousands of people were without a job and had no steady income, and were unsure when their life would go back to normal. From the actors on stage to the backstage crew, no one was quite sure what the next few months would be like. Now in November of 2020, about eight months later, we are still in the dark. So how did we get here? On March 12, Governor Cuomo made the decision to shut down the Theater District and cancel all shows until April. There had already been a few covid cases associated with Broadway workers, so he suspended productions for a month, and would move the date as they saw fit. Within the first week of closure, the Actors Fund (an organization that supports people working in the arts) created the Covid-19 Emergency Relief to help cover the cost of living for people in the arts that are at risk and have no money due to job losses. The charity has said that “Since March 18, 2020, The Actors Fund has distributed more than $17 million in emergency financial assistance to 14,021 people in our industry. This money is helping people cover basic living expenses, such as food, essential medications, utilities and more.”
So what have people been doing during the pandemic to stay connected? Well, many organizations have worked to try and help those who are vulnerable during these times, and many Broadway related companies such as Broadway World and Playbill have been working to produce content related to the arts and meetings over zoom to keep people engaged and connected, even if live theater isn’t able to happen yet. Also, actors are taking the initiative too, and connecting with fellow entertainers/fans during these unprecedented times. Many well-known actors took to their social medias, and, with a mission to inspire hope and ease the stress of the circumstance, worked to connect with and reach out to their fans. For example, Ben Platt (Dear Evan Hansen), Noah Galvin (Dear Evan Hansen), and Kathryn Gallagher (Jagged Little Pill) came together to host a “Quarantunes Dance Party” on Instagram Live to calm down the nerves and have fun during this scary time. Andrew Barth Feldman (another Dear Evan Hansen alum) hosts biweekly “Broadway Jackbox” livestreams where he and other notable actors connect over zoom to play games and raise money for the Actors Fund and other Covid Relief charities. Some performers have even released their own music; Ben Platt released his single “So Will I” in early May, an ode to the pandemic and a message of connection even though we are apart. In addition, companies such as Disney Plus and Netflix have been taking this opportunity to improve their business by making theatre accessible to people who may have not been interested before. The hit musical Hamilton was released on Disney Plus in July, and many other musicals have been remodeled as movies; this includes The Prom, Dear Evan Hansen, In the Heights, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, West Side Story, etc. It’s a great way for people to stay connected to their love of theater, and find new people to appreciate it.
As the months have gone by, more and more scheduled productions have been pushed to 2021, and the current reopening is set for June 2021. Theatre lovers such as myself have been hoping for a smooth return as soon as possible, and we hope for a bright future. My greatest wish for 2021 is for Broadway to still exist and be around for future generations to appreciate, because as this pandemic has shown us, nothing can break the power of the arts!