Broadway is closed through 2020

Broadway will remain dark throughout the rest of the year and it is unclear when the show will be able to return to the stage.

It marks the fourth expansion of Broadway, prolonging shutdowns that began in March due to a coronavirus epidemic. This is the longest time that theaters have closed.

The Broadway League announced Monday that theater owners will return or exchange all tickets purchased for musical instruments and plays by January 3. However, there is a possibility that some events may not return later.

For shows that will resume on the Great White Way, performance tickets for next winter and spring are expected to go on sale in the coming weeks.

“The Broadway experience can be deeply personal, but it’s also importantly communal,” said Thomas Schumacher, chairman of the Broadway League’s board of directors. “Broadway theaters are tied to a single audience on the alchemy stage of a thousand strangers who can safely manage full homes and behind each scene for each actor. Every single member of our community shares stories that inspire our audiences through the transformative power of a shared live experience.” “The safety of our cast, crew, orchestra and spectators is our top priority and we look forward to returning to our level when we are safe to do our job. One thing is for sure, we will be stronger when we return.”

When Broadway closed on March 12, 31 music and dramas were playing, while eight new shows were in the offing and eight more were set to debut in the spring. Meanwhile, three shows – the revival of Disney’s musical “Ice Cool”, Martin McDonagh’s play “Hangman” and Edward Albie’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” – Laurie Metcalfe – have announced that they will not be returning after Broadway relaunches.

Other shows such as Neil Simon’s revival of “Plaza Suite” starring Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick throughout the show have delayed their opening until 2021.

The Broadway League said it is working with city and state officials to find the safest way to reopen, including screening and testing for visitors and staff, enhanced cleaning and sanitizing arrangements, and rebuilding backstage protocols. Broadway, as an industry, is particularly at risk because theaters are often small and heavily patronized.

“Our membership is working with theater unions and key experts and a few great minds inside and outside the industry to explore protocols for all aspects of reopening. We’re focused on identifying and implementing the necessary measures to enable Broadway audiences and employees to resume performances safely, “said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League.” We’re working to bring back those who depend on the industry for a living and to New York City. We’re committed to making sure that those who love this important part return safely and quickly. As many of us in the Broadway community have been saying at this time – we’ll be back, and we have a lot more to tell. “