Broadway Extends Shutdown to June Due to Coronavirus

By Brent Lang

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – With the coronavirus grinding urban life to a halt, Broadway has extended its shutdown. Shows will now be suspended through June 7, 2020.

Previously, the Broadway League said that performances would resume during the week of April 13, 2020, but that’s an impossibility given that New York remains the epicenter of the pandemic.

Even though the League has extended the shut down, many Broadway insiders don’t expect performances to resume until July at the earliest, with some predicting that theaters will stay dark into September.

The extended closure will likely mean that more shows that were eyeing limited runs will instead opt not to open at all, a fate that has already befallen the likes of Martin McDonagh’s “Hangmen” and a revival of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” with Laurie Metcalf.

It’s also unclear what will happen to the Tony Awards, which have already been postponed from June when they were initially scheduled to take place. There are some discussions about having a virtual show.

“Our top priority continues to be the health and well-being of Broadway theatregoers and the thousands of people who work in the theatre industry every day, including actors, musicians, stagehands, ushers, and many other dedicated professionals.” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, in a statement. “Broadway will always be at the very heart of the Big Apple, and we join with artists, theatre professionals, and fans in looking forward to the time when we can once again experience live theatre together.”