Broadway To Reopen Sept. 14, Ticket Sales This Week, Cuomo Says

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Broadway theaters will reopen at full capacity on Sept. 14, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday, setting a specific date for the theater industry's eagerly awaited return.

Ticket sales will begin Thursday, Cuomo said. The brief announcement was light on details, and Cuomo demurred when asked which shows would be included in the reopening.

"I’m sort of at my maximum knowledge of the topic," he said. An advisor told reporters there would be "dozens" of shows reopening on a rolling basis in September.

Theaters will be allowed to decide their own entry requirements, like whether people must be vaccinated to attend a show, Cuomo said. Selling tickets now will allow theaters to gauge interest before stages open, said Robert Mujica, Cuomo's budget director.

Among the first public spaces to shut down when the coronavirus took hold last spring, Broadway theaters have remained shuttered since then even as smaller venues were allowed to reopen at limited capacity starting April 2.

“We are thrilled that Governor Cuomo clearly recognizes the impact of Broadway’s return on the city and state’s economy and the complexity of restarting an entire industry that has been dormant for over a year,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League — a trade group representing theater owners and producers.

Though the reopening will hinge on health and safety protocols, the League is "cautiously optimistic" about a return to live shows this fall, St. Martin said. Reopening plans on a show-by-show basis will be available on Broadway.org.

Before Cuomo's announcement, Broadway's 41 theaters had planned to remain shut through at least May 30. St. Martin previously said the industry was targeting late summer or early fall to reopen.

The yearlong shutdown has dealt a severe blow to the $15 billion industry, which employed nearly 97,000 workers in pre-pandemic times. In 2019, Broadway had its most successful season in history, raking in $1.8 billion in ticket sales.

NEW: Broadway shows will be ready to open September 14 at 100% capacity. Tickets go on sale starting tomorrow.

Broadway is major part of our state’s identity and economy, and we are thrilled that the curtains will rise again.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) May 5, 2021

It is not immediately clear whether every Broadway theater will have a production in place in time for September's grand return.

Five shows have been canceled or closed during the pandemic, according to a running list by the Theatre Development Fund, while another 15 planned shows were rescheduled to open for future seasons. About 22 shows already running before the pandemic — including marquee productions like Hamilton and The Phantom of the Opera — will presumably resume once theaters reopen.

Other efforts to get the industry back on its feet have included a dedicated vaccine site for theater workers in Times Square, opened by Mayor Bill de Blasio last month.

Previous coverage:

• Times Square Vaccine Site Opens For Entertainment Workers
  
• Cuomo Reopens Venues, But Broadway To Stay Shuttered
• Broadway To Remain Dark Through May 2021