Broadway is revving up to reopen at full capacity

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Industry

Theaters Can Now Reopen at Full Capacity

But the question is: When will they?

By Diep Tran

THE BROADWAY LEAGUE HAS

announced that Broadway theaters can reopen at full capacity beginning Sept. 14. This follows announcements from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo that businesses can open at full capacity May 19, and from New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio that the city will fully reopen July 1.

On May 3, Cuomo announced that capacity restrictions will be lifted on May 19 for businesses in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut as part of a tristate-area coordinated approach. But businesses still must maintain a six-foot distance between patrons. The six-feet rule does not apply if attendees provide proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.

Similarly, theaters can truly reopen at full capacity, without distancing, if audience members and the artists involved are fully vaccinated or have a negative test for COVID-19. Cuomo admitted that this doesn’t mean that theaters will reopen right away.

“Museums, theaters, Broadway, retail, shops—now they may make their own economic decision as to when they need to reopen, because they can have critical mass,” he said at the press conference. “Broadway, for example, has a schedule. They have to produce a play before they can sell the play. So there’s a schedule for them, but from a capacity point of view, they can all reopen on May 19.”

On May 5, Cuomo announced an exact date: Broadway theaters will officially reopen at full capacity on Sept. 14. Prior to that, the Broadway League, the trade organization representing Broadway producers, said in a statement that it will focus on a September reopening: “We applaud the governor’s recent announcement easing capacity limits on performance venues in New York State. We are encouraged by this good news, which is a long-awaited indication that New York is truly on the road to recovery. We look forward to reopening at full capacity and are working to safely welcome audiences and employees back to Broadway theaters this fall. As always, we continue to work closely with our elected officials and will share more information as soon as plans become finalized.”

On April 29, de Blasio promised New York City will “fully reopen” on July 1. “You should expect Broadway full-strength in September, but I’d love to see some of the smaller shows up in July and August,” he told MSNBC.

So far, theaters in New York have been slowly announcing in-person performance dates. The Public Theater announced the return of Shakespeare in the Park this summer. “Diana the Musical” on Broadway has begun selling tickets for performances beginning Dec. 1. And the new musical “Six,” which was hours away from its official opening last March, has already sold out its first performance on Sept. 17.

In response to Cuomo, Actors’ Equity Association released a statement of support, saying, “We are having regular and ongoing conversations with the Broadway League about what protocols for a safe reopening would look like, and have a clear understanding of their timetable,” said Equity executive director Mary McColl. “We welcome this unexpected announcement and look forward to a safe reopening of theater, both on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and beyond that prioritizes the safety of the workers.”