After initially planning to reopen in mid-April, the Broadway League announced on Wednesday that Broadway theaters will remain closed until at least June 7, according to the New York Times.
Broadway’s 41 venues have been closed since March 12, when they shut their doors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the Times reported.
“Our top priority continues to be the health and well-being of Broadway theatergoers and the thousands of people who work in the the theater industry every day, including actors, musicians, stagehands, ushers and many other dedicated professionals,” Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, said in a statement, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
“Broadway will always be at the very heart of the Big Apple, and we join with artists, theater professionals and fans in looking forward to the time when we can once again experience live theater together.”
However, some in the industry have said that they expect theaters to remain closed past June 7, with some speculating that theaters will not reopen until July 4 or Labor Day, according to the Times.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo also expressed doubt that Broadway would reopen by June in a press conference on Wednesday, the Times reported.
“I wouldn’t use what Broadway thinks as a barometer of anything, unless they’re in the public health business,” Cuomo said, according to the Times.
The theater shutdown is now the longest in Broadway’s history, including the shutdown that took place following the events of September 11, according to People magazine.
The musical “Beetlejuice” is just one casualty of the shutdown, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “Beetlejuice” had been playing to nearly-full houses every night before productions were halted at the Winter Garden Theatre, but now will not be able to return because the theater is booked for Hugh Jackman’s “The Music Man” in the fall.
Some hows that had been scheduled for national tours over the summer, like “The Book of Mormon,” are ending their runs early, according to THR.
The Broadway League also said that those who have bought tickets for shows through June 7 should be contacted by April 12 about receiving a refund or exchanging their tickets for a future performance, according to the New York Times.