Broadway shows will remain closed for at least the rest of 2020. I knew about this development a few days prior to the announcement since I am the drummer for Ain’t Too Proud - The Life And Times Of The Temptations. The cast/crew and musicians received an email informing us of the news. I wasn’t at all surprised.
The Broadway League announced earlier this week that theater owners and producers will refund or exchange tickets previously purchased for shows through Jan. 3. Given the unpredictability of the coronavirus pandemic that has prompted the shuttering of Broadway, the League said it was not yet ready to specify exactly when shows will reopen.
“I’m cautiously optimistic, with the latest information that we’re getting from scientists and medical professionals, that we’re getting close to some protocols that would work in New York and on the road,” Charlotte St. Martin, the League’s president, said in an interview. “As long as they hold up, I do think that after the first of the year, a rolling rollout of shows reopening is possible.”
Broadway attendance in the 2018-2019 season topped that of the 10 professional New York and New Jersey sports teams combined, and surpassed the combined sports teams by over 4.6 million in attendance. Broadway has an enormous reach and impact on New York City: With 14.8 million Broadway admissions during the 2018-2019 season (65% made up of tourists both domestic and international), the Broadway industry contributed $14.7 billion to the economy of New York City and supported 96,900 jobs.
The full impact of this extended shutdown won’t be known for years, but the reality will be felt immediately.
Here’s why.
100,000+ people will be out of work for possibly a year. Every industry related to broadway will subsequently suffer as a result. Has anyone thought about the hospitality industry and all of the jobs lost there? What about the impact on the tourism companies who make a living from shuttling people around the city to enjoy the vibrant culture NYC once had? The nightlife - think about people who come to NYC to maybe see a show and want to go out to see live music, eat a late night meal, go dancing or hang out at a bar. All of that is gone.
Think about the other industries related to theater - wigs, costumes, dry cleaners, ticketing, ushers, sound companies, clothing manufactures, musical equipment retailers, merchandisers, lighting companies, carpentry businesses, electrical equipment, rehearsal spaces, physical therapists…the list goes on and on. I haven’t even mentioned the businesses in the central business district of Manhattan who will now have to find ways to survive with no foot traffic from patrons of Broadway shows.
We might have a city with little to no live entertainment for an entire year. Since there won’t be any large gatherings for many more months inside, there won’t be any ballet, no symphonies, no jazz clubs, no dance clubs and no rock/pop venues for musicians to play. That means a lot less people walking around in the city at night. While there may be bars and restaurants still in operation, the decrease in pedestrian interaction will likely mean opportunities for criminals to prey on abandoned stores and people brave enough to roam the streets of a city where the police have pulled back in their law enforcement efforts.
The governor of New York feels that all of the people who are out of work should just get a job as an essential worker. Problem solved - I guess. This is Andrew Cuomo in April:
I wrote what I thought about his dismissive attitude in one of my newsletters shortly after he spewed this garbage from his pie hole. You can read that HERE: Get A Job As An Essential Worker!
I wonder how all of us will be able to transfer our specialized skills to a completely different industry. It seems as if we all have to fight for these essential worker jobs all at the same time. Does anyone really think there are that many positions available? If so, what have so many filed for unemployment in such enormous numbers for the past 15 weeks?
To belittle such a massive contributor to the economy of New York is troubling to me. I am seeing what people view as a priority by the behaviors we are engaging in at the moment.
While I understand the need to be cautious and think long term, I’m not confident about the future. Tourism is a big part of the lifeline of this city and many other businesses. I hope there is a plan for the revitalization of not only the image of New York City, but the economy here.
Will there be an advertising campaign to bring people back? At what point will New York be “safe” enough for people to gather in large numbers? Since Broadway cannot adhere to any 6 feet apart mandate or even wear masks, it will have to be an all-or-nothing endeavor. Either we come back full strength or forget it altogether.
It’s apropos that Milton Glaser, the designer of the “I ♥ NY” logo campaign died a few days ago. Maybe New York, and the once vibrant culture it once had, died along with him.
Interesting News Stories:
‘Flatten the Fear‘ – An excellent new skeptical initiative by US docs
‘The Real Pandemic Was a Nursing Home Problem‘ – Great post on the American Institute for Economic Research blog
‘The lockdown is causing so many deaths‘ – Dr Malcolm Kendrick interviewed in Spiked
Kneeling in the Church of Social Justice - America certainly has work to do on race, but ritual and symbolic acts aren't the way forward.
Breakdown - The unwinding of law and order in our cities has happened with stunning speed.
Clayton Craddock is an independent thinker, father of two beautiful children in New York City. He is the drummer of the hit broadway musical Ain’t Too Proud. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University’s School of Business and is a 25 year veteran of the fast paced New York City music scene. He has played drums in a number of hit broadway and off-broadway musicals including “Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical and Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar and Grill. In addition, Clayton has worked on: Footloose, Motown, The Color Purple, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, Evita, Cats, and Avenue Q.