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UPDATE: On May 5, Governor Cuomo that Broadway theaters would be ready to open at full capacity on September 14 with tickets to go on sale on May 6.
NEW: Broadway shows will be ready to open September 14 at 100% capacity. Tickets go on sale starting tomorrow.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) May 5, 2021
Broadway is major part of our state’s identity and economy, and we are thrilled that the curtains will rise again.
It is not official yet, but word on the street is that Broadway is gearing up to open up again this September after first going dark on March 12 of 2020. This will effectively become the longest shutdown in the theater district's history.
The news follows last week's announcement by Mayor Bill de Blasio, in which he revealed that the city plans to "fully reopen" on July 1.
"The Broadway League has been working closely with state and city officials on plans for safely restarting the Broadway industry, welcoming audiences and bringing our workforce back," the Broadway League said in an official statement to Broadway News. "[Last week's] remarks by the Mayor give us further optimism that Broadway productions can resume this fall, beginning in September, and we look forward to providing more details about reopening in the coming weeks."
Although the Mayor mentioned that the city is looking to open theaters by mid-summer as well, Broadway shows have to go into rehearsal mode before opening to the public. Add new safety protocols and guidelines to the endeavor and you've got yourself a few extra months of prep before we can head back inside of our beloved theaters.
That being said, folks can already purchase tickets for shows like Chicago, Ain't Too Proud and Jagged Little Pill on Telecharge. September seats are available on the site. Clearly, things are looking up.
NY1 reports that "the initial plan is for some of the bigger blockbuster shows like Wicked, The Lion King and Hamilton to return first" and that "source[s] say [that] the cast of Moulin Rouge! was called into a Zoom meeting this week and informed that the show will reopen in mid-September."
Perhaps most excitingly, also according to NY1, a formal announcement about Broadway's official reopening is set for May 11, just a week away.
Whether it'll be September, a bit sooner or a bit later, one thing is for sure: Broadway is coming back and we'll be there cheering on the various productions as soon as it does.
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