Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines for March 12
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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered all Broadway theaters to shut their doors on Thursday amid ongoing coronavirus concerns.
Cuomo banned gatherings of 500 or more in the city, effectively forcing the hand of Broadway producers who had previously said that Broadway would be “open for business” unless advised otherwise by the government.
Currently, shows are set to resume the week of April 13, which is only 10 days before the official cut-off for eligibility for the Tony Awards, scheduled to take place on June 7. Cuomo noted that venues of under 500 can only be filled to half their capacity.
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In a statement obtained by Fox News, Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League, said: “Our top priority has been and will continue 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.
"Broadway has the power to inspire, enrich and entertain, and together we are committed to making that vital spirit a reality. Once our stages are lit again, we will welcome fans back with open arms so that they can continue to experience the joy, heart, and goodwill that our shows so passionately express every night," St. Martin added.
The press release also noted that the "Broadway League will continue to closely monitor the evolving coronavirus situation on behalf of the Broadway community and make decisions as circumstances require, in accordance with guidelines from the CDC and state and local health officials."
FILE - This Jan. 19, 2012 file photo shows a Broadway street in Times Square, in New York. ((AP Photo/Charles Sykes, file)
On Broadway, would-be theater attendees were turned away. Laurence Maslon, an arts professor at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, told The Associated Press that closing all Broadway theaters for a month is unprecedented.
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“Nothing comes close to this amount of time ever," Maslon said.
The move comes a day after Broadway's two largest theater chains revealed that a part-time usher and security guard who worked at two theaters in recent days tested positive for COVID-19 and was under quarantine.
The pressure on Broadway to go dark steadily increased as other entertainment hubs shuttered, including Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera, the NBA, NHL, CinemaCon, Coachella and Major League Soccer.
Actors took to Twitter to share their sadness. “My heart is with all my friends and colleagues,” wrote Tony Award-nominee Judy Kuhn. “This is really bad for everyone who depends on the theater for their livelihoods."
Kerry Butler, a Tony-nominated star of “Beetlejuice,” said the shuttering ”is the right move to keep everyone safe.”
“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Girardi said goodbye to “Chicago” a few weeks early. The musical had been scheduled to finish on March 29.
“Well this is not the way I wanted to say goodbye to Roxie and my Chicago family but I have no choice. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to everyone that came to the shows . I leave NYC feeling like my mission is incomplete but I will treasure this time always. Erika," Girardi wrote on Instagram on Thursday.
Other theaters far from Broadway have closed their doors, including the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in California, which canceled or postponed all productions and programs through March 31. The 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle closed its doors, citing the state's mandated cancellation of public gatherings. The 1,600-seat Curran Theater in San Francisco decided to scrap performances of “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.”
Broadway producers were cautious until now, with a wait-and-see approach for an industry that grossed $1.8 billion last season. The Broadway League, a trade organization representing producers and theater owners, recommended that actors refrain from greeting fans at the stage door.
The league said it had increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting all public and backstage areas. It also added alcohol-based sanitizer dispensers for public use in the lobby of every theater.
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Producers have been historically unwilling to cancel shows, which had an average paid admission last week of over $100. The last time they did so was in 2016 when a ban on travel in New York and the suspension of public transportation due to snow forced theater owners to cancel one day's shows. Superstorm Sandy in 2012 darkened Broadway for four days and cost more than $8.5 million in lost revenue. Broadway theaters stayed open during the 1918 influenza epidemic.
Broadway is particularly vulnerable to the new coronavirus because its audience skews older, thousands of people are packed into small seats for every show and the industry is dependent on tourism. Of the 14.8 million admissions in the 2018-2019 season, 65 percent were made by tourists — 46 percent from Americans outside New York and 19 percent from other countries.
Actors' Equity Association, which represents more than 51,000 actors and stage managers nationwide, had urged officials and producers to consider the health and economic welfare of theater workers in their decision.
The shuttering of all 41 Broadway theaters will cause chaos to the spring theatrical calendar. Several shows — including “Company,” “Caroline, Or Change,” “Diana” and “Mrs. Doubtfire” — had scheduled to open during the time when theaters are closed.
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Maslon noted that many of the spring's biggest shows were waiting to open and he saw no reason why the Broadway League wouldn't adjust its eligibility date. “I think they have to extend the season,” he said.
Established shows will likely weather the storm better than one's waiting to open. “If it's ‘Lion King,’ they'll just pick up where they left off. But for shows like ‘Diana’ or ‘Hangman' or ‘Company,’ which are still in previews and still trying to figure it out, it's going to be very complicated."
Last week, attendance was actually higher than the previous week, but many believed that Broadway would not be able to avoid the effects of the outbreak forever, especially if school groups and tourists decided to skip New York in big numbers.
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For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The vast majority of people recover from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
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