Broadway shutdown extended until at least Labor Day

Associated Press
Tuesday, May 12, 2020 12:50 p.m. | Tuesday, May 12, 2020 12:50 p.m.

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This March 20 photo shows pedestrians in a sparsely populated Times Square in New York. Covid-19 has shaken theater fans and shuttered all New York City’s venues, including Broadway, which grossed $1.8 billion last season and attracted a record 15 million people. How Broadway — one the city’s jewels — will reopen is still not clear.

The shutdown on Broadway due to coronavirus concerns has been extended again — until at least early September.

Although an exact date for performances to resume has yet to be determined, Broadway producers are now offering refunds and exchanges for tickets purchased for shows through Sept. 6.

“While all Broadway shows would love to resume performances as soon as possible, we need to ensure the health and well-being of everyone who comes to the theater — behind the curtain and in front of it — before shows can return,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, which represents producers.

Broadway theaters abruptly closed on March 12, knocking out all shows — including 16 that were still scheduled to open — and postponing indefinitely the Tony Award schedule. Producers, citing health and city authorities, previously extended the shutdown to June 7.

Broadway grossed $1.8 billion last season and attracted a record 15 million people. Producers and labor unions are discussing ways theaters can reopen safely.