Broadway Shuts Down Due to Coronavirus Concerns

Photo: Alex Cy

List of Theater Closings in New York

BROADWAY WILL SHUT DOWN

Release from the Broadway League:
Under the direction of Governor Andrew Cuomo, Broadway shows in New York City will suspend all performances immediately in support of the health and well-being of the theatregoing public, as well as those who work in the theatre industry. Performances will commence the week of April 13, 2020.

“Our top priority has been and will continue to be the health and well-being of Broadway theatregoers and the thousands of people who work in the theatre industry every day, including actors, musicians, stagehands, ushers, and many other dedicated professionals,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of the Broadway League. “Broadway has the power to inspire, enrich and entertain, and together we are committed to making that vital spirit a reality.  Once our stages are lit again, we will welcome fans back with open arms so that they can continue to experience the joy, heart, and goodwill that our shows so passionately express every night.”

Those holding tickets for performances through April 12, 2020 should contact their point of purchase for refunds and exchanges.

The Broadway League will continue to closely monitor the evolving coronavirus situation on behalf of the Broadway community and make decisions as circumstances require, in accordance with guidelines from the CDC and state and local health officials.

For further information, please visit broadwayleague.com.

Other cancellations and postponements: (Check back to see the latest.)

NEW YORK:
MORE BREAKING NEWS:

😷The Tony Awards, which were scheduled for June 7 have been postponed. No new date has been announced.

😷Lincoln Center Theater's Flying Over Sunset and Roundabout Theatre Company's Birthday Candles and Caroline, or Change—have been postponed to fall.

😷The Outer Critics Circle Awards scheduled for May 21 have been postponed. A new date has not been determined.

😷Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has canceled the 2020 Easter Bonnet Competition, which was scheduled to take place April 20 and 21 at the Minskoff Theatre.

😷The 76th Annual Theatre World Awards Ceremony originally scheduled for Monday evening, June 1, 2020 beginning at 7:00 p.m. at Circle in the Square Theatre (1633 Broadway) has been POSTPONED until Fall 2020. A new date will be announced soon.

😷The 2020 Olivier Awards scheduled for April 5 have been cancelled.

😷Showscore Shuts Down: Starting this Friday, we will no longer be updating the site, nor accepting new shows and reviews. We will continue to tie up loose ends and are planning to host our members at Socials through the summer and into the fall, when theater is back. 

😷No events scheduled within The Lambs until further notice. 3 West building is closed.

😷From Mayor Bill de Blasio:
Nightclubs, movie theaters, small theater houses and concert venues must all close. The order will go into effect Tuesday, March 17 at 9 am.

😷The remaining six shows of the Women’s History Solo Show Series co-presented by the 14th Street Y are postponed until a later date. Ticket purchasers will be contacted by the 14th Street Y.

😷TCG is moving to remote operations effective Monday, March 16, and the administrative offices will be closed.

😷All Signature Theatre productions and public events scheduled for March 12–22 are cancelled, but the Center will continue to be open to the public with adjusted hours. Both The Hot Wing King and Cambodian Rock Band have had their runs cut short. 

😷The Commercial Theater Institute's Continued Legal Education seminar scheduled for April 1-2 has been postponed until the fall.

😷The League of Professional Theatre Women's Julia’s Reading Room originally scheduled for March 25 at the Jefferson Market Library has been cancelled.

😷Miranda Theatre Company has postponed the the final two readings of the Liz Smith Reading Series.

😷MCC Theater is announcing changes to 2019/20 productions and events:
The New York premiere of All The Natalie Portmans played its final performance Thursday, March 12.
The World Premiere of Nollywood Dreams will not begin preview performances on Thursday, March 19 as previously announced. The production will be rescheduled for a later date in our 2019/20 Season. New dates will be announced. Contact the MCC Box Office at boxoffice@mcctheater.org.
Miscast 20, the 20th annual MCC Theater gala, previously scheduled for Monday, April 6, will now be held on Monday, June 15 at The Hammerstein Ballroom at the Manhattan Center. Tickets purchased to the April 6 event will be honored on June 15.

😷Performances of Harry Townsend's Last Stand at City Center Stage II
will continue as scheduled. Per Governor Cuomo's advisement, the show will reduce the seating capacity of the theater by 50 percent to allow for "social distancing."

😷Red Bull Theater has cancelled all public events until April 12, 2020.

😷Repertorio Español has suspended performances through March 31.

😷The McKittrick Hotel which houses the shows Sleep No More, The Woman in Black, Speakeasy Magick and the rooftop Lodge at Gallow Green will close through April 12, 2020.

😷All remaining performances of Gnit, by Will Eno originally scheduled through March 29 at Teana are cancelled.

😷All programming and events at Feinstein’s/54 Below are postponed until April 8, 2020.

😷En Garde Arts is canceling the remaining stops in the Bronx and Brooklyn on their five-borough tour of Fandango For Butterflies (And Coyotes).

😷Transport Group's gala April 6 honoring Lori Fineman and Katherine Marshall has been postponed. A new date will be announced.

😷Abingdon Theatre Company is postponing all programming until further notice.

😷The Play Company's production of Sarah Einspanier's Lunch Bunch had been scheduled to start performances next week. PlayCo is canceling performances March 18-31. Previews are now scheduled to begin April 1, and PlayCo is adding performances April 21-26.

😷Works and Process, the performing arts series at the Guggenheim, has cancelled performances from March through May 2020, to be rescheduled at a later date.

😷Asase Yaa Cultural Arts Foundation and the Milton G. Bassin Performing Arts Center at York College have postponed their co-production and world premiere of the new musical, DREAMING OF 1975 Saturday, March 21, 2020.

😷About Love has played its final performance Off-Broadway at The Sheen Center for Thought and Culture a week-and-a-half earlier than its previously announced limited engagement was to conclude. Ticket-holders for canceled performances should contact their point of purchase for a refund.
Programming at The Sheen Center has been suspended through the end of March. The building is clo0sed to the public.

😷All performances of the off-Broadway production of Drift at New World Stages through Sunday, April 12, 2020 are cancelled. To reschedule your tickets, contact your point of sale.All tickets purchased for the impacted dates will be refunded automatically.

😷Vineyard Theatre announces that starting Friday, March 13  all performances of Dana H. will be suspended through March 31. The theatre will play to 50 percent capacity April 1 - 12. Dana H. will be extending to April 19 in order to accommodate patrons who want to see the production or who must reschedule.

😷Rattlestick Playwrights Theater will suspend performances of The Siblings play as of Saturday night, March 14 until further notice.

😷Playwrights Horizons: All remaining performances of Unknown Soldier are cancelled. Ticket holders will be contacted directly about next steps.The first preview performance of Selling Kabul, slated for March 27, will most likely be delayed to a later date TBA.

😷Atlantic Theater administrative offices, studios, and theaters closed until further notice. All Atlantic staff will be working remotely and reachable via email during that time. Atlantictheater.org.

😷The Public Theater has cancelled all shows and events March 12  through April 12 to support citywide efforts to reduce the coronavirus spread. Current ticket holders have been sent an email with additional details on their cancelled performance but for inquiries, email tickets@publictheater.org or call 212-967-7555.

😷New Victory Theater on 42nd Street announced that the remainder of its 2019-2020 season has been canceled effective March 13 through June 14, 2020. This temporary theater closure affects the remaining five performances of Step Afrika!'s Drumfolk and seven subsequent productions from around the world. 

😷The Actors Fund will transition in-person program offerings to online and phone meetings only for the coming weeks.
You can sign up for online seminars on career enrichment, financial wellness, health insurance, affordable housing and more at 212-221-7300 ext. 119.

😷Episcopal Actors' Guild has postponed all events until further notice. Staff will continue to work remotely, and if you are in need of assistance, contact the executive director at karen@actorsguild.org. With show closures, this may be a challenging time for our community. They are here to help.

😷Playwrights Realm has cancelled its upcoming production of Noah Diaz's RICHARD and JANE and DICK and SALLY, in partnership with The Sol Project.

😷New York Theatre Workshop has cancelled all public-facing events starting at 4 pm March 12.

😷59E59 Theaters will suspend all public programming effective immediately. The building will shut down at 5 pm today (March 12). 59E59 Theaters plans on resuming performances on April 1.

😷Beginning today, March 12, Ars Nova will suspend performances of Heather Christian’s Oratorio for Living Things and close their offices at the Ars Nova Hub (511 W 54th Street) and Ars Nova at Greenwich House (27 Barrow Street) for 30 days. Ars Nova is hopeful that performances will resume in mid-April, pending the status of COVID-19
arsnovanyc.com

😷Beyond Babel at Judson Auditorium will suspend performances for the remainder of March and first week of April 2020. The critically acclaimed production will go on hiatus immediately following the 8pm performance tonight, Thursday, March 12.
Performances from March 13 to April 6 will be rescheduled into May 2020. Beyond Babel is currently scheduled to resume performances on Tuesday, April 7 and will now run through Saturday, May 30. The revised performance schedule can be found at www.BeyondBabelShow.com.

😷Metropolitan Opera: We regret to inform our audience that all Met performances have been canceled through March 31, effective immediately.

😷Amas Musical Theatre has postponed its April 6 Blast from The Past Benefit Concert. In addition Amas Musical Theatre's Off-Broadway production of Romeo and Bernadette: A Musical Tale of Verona, scheduled to begin performances at Theatre Row on March 17 and open on March 26, has been postponed for the time being. The original cast album will be recorded in April.

😷Helpful information about exchanging or cancelling your tickets from BroadwayWorld.
https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/How-To-Exchange-Or-Cancel-Your-Broadway-Tickets-Due-To-Coronavirus-Travel-Cancellations-20200310

😷The Broadway League highly recommends that all stage door activities be eliminated for the time being. Anyone who is experiencing cold or flu symptoms, or who is not feeling well, is encouraged to stay home and contact the point of purchase for more information about ticket exchanges and policies.

😷As a precaution to help limit the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and support the City's efforts to promote social distancing, the Library for the Performing Arts has suspended all programming and events at our location through March 31. At this time, our location remains open during our regular hours.

😷Gingold Theatrical Group (David Staller, Artistic Director) today announced that the 2020 Golden Shamrock Gala scheduled for Monday March 16 at Robert Restaurant honoring Maryann Plunkett, Jay O. Sanders and Ethan E. Litwin would be postponed to a later date.

Be Seen! Ads Available in Outer Critics Circle 70th Anniversary Awards Program

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2020-program-ads-70th-anniversary-outer-critics-circle-awards-tickets-90669233117

Be There for London's Live-Stage Concert of Les Mis

A staged concert of Les Miserables will be broadcast live in cinemas across North America on Monday, Dec. 2 from the Gielgud Theatre in London, with encore screenings taking place on Sunday, Dec. 8.

Tickets for North American cinemas will be available beginning Friday, Nov. 8 at www.LesMisConcert.com.

Leading an outstanding cast and orchestra of more than 65 are Michael Ball (Javert), Alfie Boe (Jean Valjean), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Fantine) and Matt Lucas (Thénardier), who perform the songs "I Dreamed A Dream," "Bring Him Home," "One Day More," "On My Own" and others. 

Off-Broadway Theater Review: When it Happens to You

Tawni O'Dell and Kelly Swint. Photo: Jeremy Daniel

When it Happens to You

By Tawni O'Dell
Directed by Lynne Taylor-Corbett
Sheen Center
Through Nov. 10

By Lauren Yarger
What's it All About:  
The story of a daughter's rape from the mother's perspective, based the real-life experience and memoir of playwright Tawni O'Dell ("Back Roads"/"Angels Burning"), who stars. She takes us from the moment her daughter, Tirzah (Kelly Swint makng an impressive NY theater debut), calls to say she has been attacked through the months after as the family tries to deal with the tragedy that has changed them forever. Also affected in Tirzah's brother, Connor (Connor Lawrence) who toggles between grief over what has happened to his sister and jealousy that his mother seems to have no place for him as she tries to help Tirzah. And Tirzah needs help. She copes in a negative way, detaching from things she loves (including school and pursuing a career as a chef) and attaching to drugs and a deadbeat boyfriend an his dysfunctional family.  E. Clayton Cornelious. playing a multitude of characters throughout the story, rounds out the cast.

What Are the Highlights:
A gripping performance from Swint creates sympathy for the character despite the poor choices that bring her and her family more grief. She portrays a woman trapped in a roller coaster of emotions, nicely helmed by talented Director Lynne Taylre-Corbett. Here's an actress to watch.

What Are the Lowlights:
Interestingly, the main force of the play -- the story told from the mother's perspective -- ends up working against itself. Because we feel more sympathy for the daughter, we kind of want to hear more from her perspective. And while we can't truly understand how we would react in the same situation unless we have gone through this horrible tragedy, we find ourselves questioning some choices the mother makes. They seem more oriented toward her own needs rather than those of her children and a surprise twist at the end seems to confirm this. So the main character we are supposed to bond with seems a bit hard to embrace and the larger story of why we are sitting in the theater for 90 minutes gets cloudy. It feels a bit awkward since the real person is right there on stage. The play didn't start as a theatrical piece, in all fairness, though. It was an act of healing. Here are some thoughts as she expresses them:

"The first time I held my daughter after she was born I made a silent promise to her I would always protect her,"  O'Dell said. "Then came a night in our future when that promise was shattered. I couldn't protect her from the man who stalked her through the streets of her beloved New York City, broke into her home, and assaulted her. During the next few years, her life fell apart and so did my own as I tried to help her deal with the fallout from this awful crime. As a way to help make sense of what we were going through, I did what writers do: I wrote about it. I didn't know if I would ever share our story with the world, but I'm proud to say my daughter has decided that we should in the hopes that we might be able to help other victims and their families. Rape touches just about every one of us. More women are sexually assaulted in this country than are affected by heart disease and breast cancer combined. To say it is an epidemic, is not hyperbole."
More information:
When it Happens to You runs at the Sheen Center, 18 Bleecker St. at the corner of Elizabeth Street, NYC). Perfromances are Tuesday and Sunday at 7 pm; Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 pm; matinees Saturday at 2 pmM and Sunday at 3 pm. Tickets are $49.50 - 79.50: WhenItHappensPlay.com; 212-925-2812.

Additional Credits:
Scenic Design by Rob Bissinger and Anita LaScala, Costume Design by David C. Woolard, Lighting Design by Daisy Long, and sound design by Caroline Eng.

FAMILY-FRIENDLY FACTORS:

-- Obviously mature themes

-- Language

-- God's name taken in vain

Broadway Blessing is a Blessing

The annual Broadway Blessing ushered in the new season on the Great White Way with song, dance, talk and tributes. Chita Rivera honored Hal Prince. The Actor's Chapel at St. Malachy's was standing room only for the event produced by Pat Addiss and Kathryn Fisher.

Chita Rivera gave a tribute to Hal Prince.. whom she said 

"shaped a very large part of my life."

Gerardo Ramirez and Broadway Blessing's Founder Retta Blaney at the post-service reception.

A candle lighting and sing-along concluded the service.

"The Sabbath Prayer" from Fiddler presented by Adam Shapiro.

Jill O'Hara from the original cast of Hair sings "Good Morning Starshine."

Stephen Carlisle from The Lion King and Liseli Lugo and with the Broadway Blessing Choir 

sing "The Circle of Life."

Sydney Meyers sings "Something Happened" by David Friedman from Jane Doe No More.

Roma Torre, right, interviews Cher star Stephanie J. Block, left, who shared how faith helps her strive toward making the word a better place. Her priest encouraged her to take the role of Cher.

Conor Ryan sings "It's Good to Be Alive" from Desperate Measures accompanied 

by composer David Friedman.

Salute Her Awards Celebrate Black Women on Broadway and in New York Theater

Collage Photo Credit: Café Mocha Radio Show’s 9^th Annual Salute Her Awards. Top Row - Left to Right: LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Leslie Uggams, Alia Jones-Harvey, Cookie Jordan -- Bottom Row - Left to Right: Dominique Morisseau, Dr. Indira Etwaroo, Linda Stewart, Lynn Nottage.

Café Mocha Radio Show Presents its Inaugural Celebration of Black Women on Broadway and New York Theatre at The 9th Annual Salute Her™ Awards   2019 Honorees Include Leslie Uggams, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Lynn Nottage, Alia Jones-Harvey, Dominique Morisseau, Dr. Indira Etwaroo, Cookie Jordan and Linda Stewart. Tributes will be performed by songstress Deborah Cox and actress Lisa Arrindell.

A Who’s Who of Broadway and New York Theater will be celebrated for their artistry and achievements at the nationally syndicated Café Mocha Radio Show’s 9th Annual Salute Her Awards presented by Toyota in association with AARP, Luster Pink, American Airlines and WBLS 107.5. The 2019 honorees include Leslie Uggams (Legend Award), LaTanya Richardson Jackson (Director’s Award), Lynn Nottage (International Playwright Award), Alia Jones-Harvey (Broadway Producer’s Award), Dominique Morisseau (Playwright Award), Dr. Indira Etwaroo (Theater Community Award), Cookie Jordan (Woman of Style Award), Linda Stewart (Trailblazer Award). Set for Monday, Sept. 16 at the Gerald W. Lynch Theatre (524 West 59th Street, New York, NY 10019), this will be the first time that the Salute Her Awards will honor distinctive women within the glittering world of the New York stage with an incredible array of women! To purchase tickets for the Salute Her Awards, go to HERE. Doors open at 7 pm, the awards ceremony will begin at 7:30.   “It’s always been my goal to celebrate women of color on Broadway and New York Theater who are legendary and making a difference today,” said Sheila Eldridge, creator and executive producer of Café Mocha and Salute Her Awards. “The collective impact of this year’s honorees has enriched the lives of so many of us and inspires the art form globally. It’s going to be a special evening for these extraordinary women of theater.” The special musical tribute will be shared by Grammy-nominated recording artist and actress Deborah Cox, who has starred in such Broadway productions as Elton John & Tim Rice’s AIDA and Jekyll & Hyde. Cox has also starred in the national tour of The Bodyguard: The Musical, and the Asolo Repertory Theatre musical production of Josephine. Cox will be accompanied on piano by Joseph Joubert, noted theatrical composer, arranger, and musical director whose credits include The Color Purple, Three Mo’ Tenors, Century Men, and Motown The Musical. Acclaimed stage and screen actress Lisa Arrindell will perform a dramatic reading honoring the beloved Toni Morrison. The Brooklyn native and Juilliard graduated was last seen on Broadway in the hit revival of Cat On a Hot Tin Roof. She has been featured in HARPO Productions/HBO original movie, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Christmas Wedding Baby, A Christmas Blessing, The Wronged Man, HBO’s A Lesson Before Dying, Disappearing Acts, and Having Our Say: The Delaney Sisters’ First One Hundred Years. She has led in feature films such as Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Family Reunion, The Second Chance, and Spike Lee’s Clockers.    Café Mocha’s celebration of Black Women on Broadway and New York Theatre is the second stop (September 16th) on the national Salute Her Awards’ “Step Into Your Power” Tour. The awards ceremony series kicked-off in Washington, DC and will continue on Thursday, October 18, at the Mint Museum (Charlotte, NC); Friday, November 15, at the Black Academy of Arts & Letters (Dallas, TX); and concludes on Friday, December 6, at Riverside EpiCenter (Atlanta, GA).   A two-time Gracie Award winner, the Café Mocha Radio Show reaches more than 1.4 million listeners around the country (heard locally on WBLS 107.5 on Saturday mornings), hosted by Emmy and NAACP Award winner comedienne Loni Love, hip-hop pioneer Yo-Yo, and radio veteran Angelique Perrin.      Since 2011, the Salute Her Awards Tour has honored more than 175 women from well-known figures to frequently under-recognized honorees for their contributions. Presenting corporate partner Toyota shares their mission as presenting sponsor for the last three years. Through the Salute Her ‘Nominate Her’ initiative, supported by returning sponsor AARP, the public is encouraged to visit www.saluteher.com to submit and put a spotlight on the unsung sheroes in their own lives. New sponsors American Airlines and legacy black haircare brand Luster Pink Products have come on board to make this year’s Salute Her Awards Tour even more spectacular. American handles the all-important skies, flying in the Nominate Her honorees. Luster Products puts a focus on millennial dynamism by hosting the Mocha Maven Chic Boutique Meet-Up ‘pitch’ competition, for young female entrepreneurs.   More information: www.cafemocharadio.com or www.saluteher.com.

Broadway Theater Review: Betrayal

Tom Hiddleston, Zawe Ashton, Charlie Cox. Photo: Marc Brenner

Betrayal

By Harold Pinter

Directed by Jamie Lloyd

Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre

Through Dec. 8, 2019

By Lauren Yarger
What's It All About?

Tom Hiddleston, Zawe Ashton, and Charlie Cox all making their Broadway debuts in Harold Pinter's study of betrayal. Hiddleston plays Robert, who discovers that his wife, Emmy (Ashton), has been having an affair with his best friend, Jerry (Cox), for seven years. Multiple layers of betrayal emerge and the actors, directed by Jamie Lloyd, dig deep for the emotions felt by their characters.

What Are the Highlights?

Strong performances. Even though the characters aren't very likable (Emmy seems to enjoy feeding her ego at the expense of the two men; Jerry has no problem sleeping with his best friend's wife; Robert appears not to care much that he has...  Hiddleston ("The Avengers") does give a hint of the inner turmoil his character feels when learning of the betrayal,  but the character, for reasons unknown to us, never really expresses it.

What Are the Lowlights?

The play doesn't really go any where and a confusing reverse chronological order to the action makes it difficult to follow what happens when (I know it is reverse chronological order, but if I didn't, that technique would not always be apparent). Information about what took place six years ago, two years ago requires the viewer to do mental math to try to see whether the years are sequenced correctly and it doesn't always seem like they are.

Set Design by Soutra Gilmour (who also designs the costumes) is stark -- a few pieces of furniture -- so prop placement is noticeable and distracting. Why are those drinking glasses downstage? Why are other props pantomimed? Why am I asking these kind of questions? Because the plot doesn't hold interest.

More Information:

90 minutes with no intermission

betrayalonbroadway.com

This production formed the culmination of Pinter at the Pinter, an unprecedented London season of Harold Pinter’s work taking place over the 2018/19 season. This project consisted of more than 30 pieces. Marking the 10th anniversary of Pinter’s death, Betrayal played in the West End theater that bears his name, breaking all box office records.

Additional Credits:

Eddie Arnold as the Waiter.

Lighting Design by Jon Clark; Sound  Design and Music by Ben and Max Ringham.

Family-Friendly Factors:

God's name taken in vain.