Lin-Manuel Miranda opens Broadway vaccine site in Times Square
New York City opened a new COVID-19 vaccine center for stage and screen workers in Times Square with a little razzle dazzle Monday — including a live Broadway performance and an appearance from Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Four male crooners in face shields sang the classics “On Broadway” and “New York, New York” at the event in Duffy Square on Seventh Avenue in the heart of the Manhattan theater district, where the new site is located.
Miranda, the creator and star of the Broadway mega-hit “Hamilton,” said it was the first live performance he’d seen “in a year and a half.”
“So I’m emotional today,’’ the actor told the socially distanced, invite-only audience of about 30 people, who were cordoned off from the street with metal barriers.
The inoculation center at 20 Times Square will cater to people in the theater, TV and film industries — and is even being run by the stage manager of “Wicked.”
“It’s being run by Susan [Sampliner], who’s the company manager at [the musical] ‘Wicked.’ And if anyone knows how to make sh-t run on time, it’s Broadway stage managers,’’ Miranda quipped.
“We want to tell stories in the dark, and we can’t do that if we don’t feel safe and you don’t feel safe,’’ he said in praising the opening of another vaccine center.
Miranda somberly noted the deaths of playwright legend Terrence McNally and Broadway “Waitress’’ star Nick Cordero — “who is my age’’ — to the coronavirus.
Miranda spoke after the quartet singing performances by Broadway stars Charl Brown of “Motown,” Joel Perez of “Fun Home,” Kris Coleman of “Jersey Boys” and Matt Amira of “Beautiful.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio took the microphone in between to say, “This is New York City coming back before your very eyes right here in Times Square.”
“Even the sound of the jackhammers is poetry to my ears because it means we’re coming back,” he said with a chuckle amid the city street noise.
Earlier in the day, de Blasio announced the new immunization site’s opening, saying, “We want to make it easier for the actors and crews to get vaccinated.”
“We want the film and TV community to be part of our vaccination effort as well,” he said.
The site is located on Seventh Avenue between West 47th and West 48th streets.
Veteran actress Michelle Hurd appeared virtually at the mayor’s press conference to tout the new immunization center.
“Because of the pandemic, this past year has been hard — very hard — for performing artists,” said the actress, who has appeared in everything from TV’s “Law & Order: SVU’’ to “Star Trek: Picard.”
“Motion pictures and television sets have shut down, Broadway’s dark. It’s taken a toll on all of us,” she said.
“This vaccination site sends a powerful message that the arts, entertainment and media industry is coming back.”
Broadway was shut down in mid-March last year under state orders as the coronavirus pandemic began.
Restrictions on the industry were finally eased starting this past April 2 — although entertainment venues including theaters are only allowed to reopen at 33 percent capacity or up to 100 people indoors, which is not feasible for Broadway houses yet.
