“West Side Story” and “Hangmen” received government funding that could help revive the productions.
Per data released from the Small Business Administration Monday, “West Side Story” received $10 million as part of the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program. The production has not yet announced a return date and is the last remaining Broadway show previously helmed by producer Scott Rudin to not put forth a comeback plan.
“WSS is currently planning its reopening schedule, with announcement to come,” a spokesperson said Tuesday.
The “West Side Story” revival, directed by Ivo van Hove, had been playing the Broadway Theatre from Dec. 10, 2019 until the Broadway shutdown. The show was capitalized for up to $16 million.
Rudin’s other productions, which include “To Kill A Mockingbird,” “The Lehman Trilogy,” “The Book of Mormon” and “The Music Man,” have already announced return dates and new lead producers, following Rudin’s declaration that he would “step back” from active producing.
“Hangmen,” which played 13 preview performances before the March 12, 2020 shutdown, was one of the earliest productions to announce it would not reopen. At the time, producers Robert Fox, Jean Doumanian, Elizabeth McCann and Craig Balsam cited the show’s capitalization and budget constraints amid an uncertain return date.
The play, which was capitalized for up to $4.75 million, received a grant of close to $3.5 million from the Small Business Administration. Producers did not respond to a request for comment.
While the grant funding can be used to cover expenses dating back to March 2020, the SBA stipulates in its application checklist that shuttered entities must include a statement of need that discloses its “the intent to reopen with an estimated reopening date.” The initial grant can only cover expenses incurred through Dec. 31, 2020.
As of Monday, the SBA said it had made decisions on 86% percent of applicants, who include theater owners, producers, talent representatives, museums, movie theaters and more.
On Broadway, other recent recipients include “To Kill a Mockingbird,” now helmed by Orin Wolf, “Jagged Little Pill,” “Tina,” “Chicago,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” and “Ain’t Too Proud,” all of which received $10 million. “Hamilton” has now received $10 million grants for each of its companies across the country and the Broadway production, totaling $50 million.
