Should Broadway Really Open Up in September?

Its nice to think about Broadway coming back in our lives, and we want to fantasize about it exploding back onto the scene with big crowds enjoying it safely. We saw the following link in a mass market newsletter we subscribe to this morning(image below):

We would like nothing else for this to be true; however, just saying, tickets for Hamilton are available, and not just through resellers.

Tickets for the hit show were long hard to come by without paying through the nose pre-pandemic, but, in the wake of COVID, seats can still be had for performances a month out from the performance.

We should say, through our own perusal of Ticketmaster, there aren’t that many seats available without going through resellers, and the seats available for direct sale are (interestingly) in the front section.

However, this is a far cry from pre-pandemic availability. As you can also imagine, if Hamilton isn’t selling out, no other shows are selling out either. Broadway is coming back, but not in a big way, not yet.

The reduction in foreign tourism into New York City is a major factor for this. Remember, more than half of business on Broadway comes from foreign tourism. That combined with the prospect of sitting in close indoor quarters with loud talking and singing during a pandemic makes the news of freely available tickets easy to comprehend.

Demand for shows is not what it was, and COVID is wreaking havoc on the country. Should Broadway delay its opening?

It’s easy to play pundit from the couch and say Broadway should delay their opening due to COVID’s resurgence. But at this point, it just might be too late. Tickets have been sold, there hasn’t been any type of show for 18 months, and livelihoods are on the line here. The show will go on. Its now a matter of whether it can do so safely.

That’s why we’re so upset at Laura Osnes for allegedly trying to perform while covering up the fact that she was unvaccinated. There is no room for error like there is for outdoor sporting events or other entertainment venues. London West End has opened up and shut down several times already, and every time they have to shut down, it costs significant money and puts lives at risk.

Frankly, it’s more sensible to open up and stay open than to start and stop repeatedly.

We know the show will go on, but should the show go on?

Despite being risk-averse when it comes to COVID, we believe the answer is yes, under the current plan put forward by The Broadway League. The entire cast, production team, and audience MUST be vaccinated and masked, period.

We have questions on whether the mask and vaccination mandate can be enforced 100%. Front-of-house staffs have an inconsistent record when it comes to enforcing other rules inside a theater, such as talking on cell phones, so spotting and enforcing masking during a performance will certainly be challenging. However, if the mandates can hold, and we are vaccinated, we can enjoy Broadway safely, and we should return to Broadway shows, in person.

Why?

Because we need Broadway back in our lives.

Also, looking at the bright side of a pandemic, we may never get an opportunity like this again to buy premium seats to hit shows at market prices. Hamilton, Waitress, Wicked, Hadestown, Lion King, are all available to see this September and October.

Now, if certain famous Broadway celebrities decide to return to productions they are famous for, then, all bets are off for ticket availability. So there are no assurances these conditions will last forever.

Ultimately, if you are vaccinated, and you are around other vaccinated people, we believe you can, and should live your life.

And we say, if Broadway can keep their productions adhering to their COVID safety protocols starting this September, it is time to make the world a stage again.