The Broadway League said it is continuing to target a September reopening of the Broadway industry, following remarks from Mayor Bill de Blasio Thursday.
“The Broadway League has been working closely with State and City officials on plans for safely restarting the Broadway industry, welcoming audiences and bringing our workforce back. Today’s remarks by the mayor give us further optimism that Broadway productions can resume this fall, beginning in September, and we look forward to providing more details about reopening in the coming weeks,” the League said in a statement to Broadway News.
During an appearance on MSNBC Thursday, de Blasio announced a goal to “fully reopen” New York City by July 1, meaning stores, gyms and restaurants, and help bring back Broadway in September. Broadway shows are currently closed through May 30, 2021, but September has repeatedly, though not officially, been suggested as a restart date.
De Blasio does not have the authority to lift capacity limits on Broadway houses, which would clear the way to reopen the industry. That power lies with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who issued the initial proclamation to close Broadway theaters.
In response to de Blasio’s announcement Thursday, Cuomo said it was “irresponsible” to make projections. However, based on the case numbers and vaccination rates in the city as well as the state, Cuomo said he believed it would be possible to reopen certain industries earlier, while maintaining health precautions like mask wearing and social distancing.
“It’s a statewide management system and we are managing it by the science, by the data,” Cuomo said.
