The entertainment industry is the first industry to truly feel the full storm of the pandemic effect. However, the vaccines are increased and Covid rates are beginning to fall at a steady rate, which is helping to relax restrictions further. However, don’t put on your best outfit yet. We still have another 4-5 months before Broadway begins to open the doors. Some of the shows we can expect to return include “Hamilton”, “The Lion King”, and “Wicked” for a September 14 date. “Mrs. Doubtfire” will return on Oct 21. The fall is looking like primetime for everyone to get back to their regularly scheduled program.
The question is: why the long wait? It’s very simple. All of this time has been spent keeping people safe. When tickets go on sale months before the actual show is scheduled to open, this says whether or not there’s a demand for a particular show. Also, if the response is in the middle, it’ll give producers a chance to advertise more to help create more interest in the show. Another reason is that ⅔ of show revenue comes from tourists. They want to take in Broadway shows while on vacation or just visiting for a business trip. By the time the fall comes around, the world should be a lot more open for Broadway theaters to target their core audience. Not to mention, people need to get back in shape and choreographers need to work their acts to get everyone situated again. It’s like starting from scratching.
Also, you can’t forget the safety concerns. Theaters are usually packed in with little to no airiness. These months will give them time on how to handle protocol accordingly. Maybe they’ll have temperature checks. Will actors and audience members need to be vaccinated? Will audience members need to show vaccination cards? These are all things they need to work out before putting on the first show in the fall. Producers and union leaders need to come to an understanding to help things go smoothly when Broadway reopens. Little things like an audience member coughing may trigger people, so all things need to be considered from the biggest to the smallest detail.
Of course, FOMO will be big in the first few months of theaters reopening. Everyone’s anxious to get back to normal and start enjoying their creative outlets. However, it’s going to be interesting once this initial excitement goes away. Other factors include pricing from offering discounts or regular ticket costs from the start. Regardless of the rollout, changes will need to happen all across the board to help theaters for the long haul.