Re-opening of 3 powerhouse Broadway shows signals new dawn

3 years ago 270

NEW YORK – We cognize erstwhile it paused. But erstwhile did it restart?

One of the recurring debates among theatre lovers has been what would signify Broadway’s instrumentality aft the planetary pandemic shuttered unrecorded theatre successful March 2020.

Was it erstwhile Bruce Springsteen played his performance amusement connected June 26? Was it the opening of the caller play, “Pass Over” connected Aug. 22? Or was it erstwhile 2 large musicals — “Hadestown” and “Waitress” — allowed patrons wrong again connected Sept. 2? Is it erstwhile the iconic TKTS booth reopens?

For the producers of 3 powerhouse shows — “The Lion King,” "Hamilton" and “Wicked” — the reply is Tuesday, erstwhile the spiritual anchors of modern Broadway's occurrence rev their engines again.

“The Lion King,” "Hamilton” and “Wicked” each staked retired Tuesday to reopen unneurotic successful aboriginal May aft then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo picked Sept. 14 for erstwhile Broadway could statesman welcoming backmost audiences astatine afloat capacity.

“I deliberation it really won’t consciousness existent to maine until we person an assemblage successful beforehand of us,” said L. Steven Taylor, who stars successful “The Lion King” arsenic Mufasa. “It’s specified an important constituent to this, and especially, I think, aft everything that we’ve gone through.”

While a fewer different shows person opened successful the meantime, the instrumentality of the trio connected Tuesday — arsenic good arsenic the long-running “Chicago” — is an important awesome that Broadway's astir invaluable shows are back, contempt unit and uncertainty from the dispersed of the delta variant.

“The satellite has to restart. It conscionable has to. We cannot prolong this anymore,” said Sharon Wheatley, a seasoned histrion successful the amusement “Come From Away,” which resumes its Broadway tally Sept. 21.

Ticketholders to each 3 mega-hits indispensable beryllium they are afloat vaccinated with an FDA oregon WHO authorized vaccine and masks indispensable beryllium worn astatine each times, but erstwhile eating oregon drinking successful designated areas.

Actors crossed Broadway similar Wheatley accidental they're itching to get backmost connected signifier aft much than a twelvemonth of waiting, trusting the wellness experts to marque the process safe.

“It’s a small spot similar erstwhile you’re connected an airplane and there’s turbulence,” she said. “I person to spot the pilot, I person to spot the aerial postulation controllers. I consciousness nervous, but I person to recognize that I don’t cognize arsenic overmuch arsenic these radical do.”

"Hamilton," which opened six years ago, “Wicked,” which opened 17 years agone and “The Lion King,” which opened 23 years ago, signifier the bedrock of modern Broadway, virtually immune to downturns, shifts successful tourism and rivals.

On Tuesday, they program staggered openings — 7 p.m. for “Wicked” astatine the Gershwin Theatre and 7:30 p.m. for “The Lion King” astatine the Minskoff Theatre. "Hamilton" volition unfastened astatine 8 p.m. astatine the Richard Rodgers Theatre. All 3 are opening for afloat capacity.

“Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz, “The Lion King” manager Julie Taymor and “Hamilton” creator Lin-Manuel Miranda are expected to beryllium connected hand, visiting each of their theaters to invited backmost patrons earlier each show.

Another motion that Broadway is inching backmost to normalcy is besides happening Tuesday: the re-opening of the famed TKTS booth successful the bosom of Times Square, wherever visitors tin get same-day and immoderate next-day discount Broadway and off-Broadway tickets.

“It’s specified a large measurement forward,” said Victoria Bailey, enforcement manager of the nonprofit Theatre Development Fund, which runs the booth. “To get it unfastened and specified a awesome to radical that theatre is coming back.”

Bailey says Broadway's instrumentality volition beryllium little similar a flick of a airy power and much similar a dimmer, with a dilatory physique to regular attendance. “We’ll cognize truthful overmuch much successful 2 oregon 3 weeks, but you can’t aquatics unless you tin commencement by dog-paddling.”

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called Tuesday a “big nighttime for New York City’s comeback.”

“This is really, truly exciting. This is astir who we are arsenic New Yorkers. We are the arts and civilization capital. Broadway and each of the arts and civilization of this metropolis explicit the life, the energy, the diversity, the tone of New York City. It’s successful our bosom and soul,” helium said during a virtual quality league Tuesday.

Singer and songwriter Sara Bareilles, who wrote euphony for the philharmonic “The Waitress,” joined de Blasio astatine his quality league and called the reopening a “magic day” for the theatre community.

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AP Political Reporter Michelle L. Price contributed to this report.

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Mark Kennedy is astatine http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

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