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UPDATED with Equity statement: Broadway will remain closed through at least May 30, 2021, the Broadway League announced Friday. The four-month extension beyond the most recent January date will force producers hoping for a spring opening to come up with new plans.
The Broadway League announced the continued suspension of all ticket sales for Broadway performances through May 30, 2021. Dates for each returning and new Broadway show will be announced as individual productions determine the performance schedules for their respective shows. The May 30 date extends the current shutdown from the previously targeted January 2021.
“With nearly 97,000 workers who rely on Broadway for their livelihood and an annual economic impact of $14.8 billion to the city, our membership is committed to re-opening as soon as conditions permit us to do so. We are working tirelessly with multiple partners on sustaining the industry once we raise our curtains again,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League.
Actors’ Equity Association, the national labor union representing professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, called the extension a “difficult but responsible decision.”
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“My heart breaks for everyone who works on Broadway or depends on it to make their living,” said Mary McColl, executive director for Actors’ Equity Association. “Today the Broadway League made the difficult but responsible decision to put the safety and health of their workers and audience first. This is a deeply painful time for everyone who depends on the arts for their livelihood.”
McColl continued: “We are at this moment because, seven months into the pandemic, our nation still lacks a coherent national strategy for masks and testing which could help bring the virus under control. Too many in the industry need help now as we face another six months without work. The ongoing lack of work in the arts means we face a critical need for a federal COBRA health insurance subsidies, renewed federal unemployment benefits and arts funding. Washington must act.”
Theatregoers holding tickets for dates through May 30, 2021 should contact their point of purchase for details about exchanges and refunds.