The Broadway League said it is working with members on all levels of the government to find relief for the industry, as Broadway’s timeline for returning remains unclear.
In an email sent to staff and League members Thursday, League President Charlotte St. Martin said the trade association was looking at both tax relief and cash infusion options for industry members affected by the shutdown of Broadway theaters. Still, St. Martin acknowledged that the date for the reopening of Broadway theaters is still uncertain.
“We have to remember that the Governor didn’t give us a return date and we have to have that to come back,” St. Martin wrote. “Our intel in Albany does indicate that they think the mass gatherings may be the last area of business to come back.”
The League said it hopes to have an update of the timeline in the next week. Theaters are currently scheduled to reopen on April 13, after a 30-day closure.
Much of the timeline around Broadway, and particularly the Tony Awards remains unclear. The Tony Awards announced Wednesday that the June 7 ceremony was postponed indefinitely.
“We can’t make any predictions about when or how we make the Tonys happen as we don’t know yet when we will be back and who will be back,” St. Martin said in the email.
Still, St. Martin said the League was working with the American Theatre Wing, CBS and the ceremony’s producers to “do what we can to celebrate the season and Broadway.”
As Broadway waits for the timeline to come into focus, the League is preparing a marketing and events campaign in order to find new theatergoers and bring existing patrons back to the theaters.
The League will also be launching a website for employees and employers containing information about unemployment insurance, small business loans and job offerings.
