Joe.My.God. LGBT News
The Guardian reports:
New York’s Broadway theatres have become the latest mass entertainment venues to temporarily shut down for coronavirus. State governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled a plan to suspend shows as part of new regulations to prevent public gatherings over 500 people.
Carnegie Hall, one of New York’s premier concert venues, will also suspend performances through 31 March, and the Metropolitan Museum of New York will close indefinitely from 13 March. The decision is a reversal of sorts for Broadway, which seemed to anticipate a financial hit from the virus but have kept tickets on sale.
Coronavirus has now disrupted a booming box office season for Broadway, as Aaron Sorkin’s To Kill A Mockingbird adaptation starring Ed Harris and Ivo Van Hove’s modernized West Side Story have broken records. It’s estimated that the shutdown will cost more than $100m in ticket sales.
We are taking new actions to reduce the density of people across the state.
Starting Friday at 5pm, gatherings with 500 people or more will not be permitted in NYS.
Additionally, for facilities with an occupancy of 500 or fewer, we are reducing the legal capacity by 50%.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 12, 2020
Broadway will go dark amid Coronavirus concerns, effective at 5 PM tonight: https://t.co/Wmx69zqiLt pic.twitter.com/1lrfIbvSb1
— Playbill (@playbill) March 12, 2020
BREAKING: @NYGovCuomo announces almost-immediate closing of Broadway, the city’s largest tourist industry. 5 PM tonight.
— Jesse McKinley (@jessemckinley) March 12, 2020
For Broadway theaters in Manhattan, these rules will go into effect at 5pm TODAY.
We have already spoken to the theaters about these new measures and they agreed.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) March 12, 2020