Broadway Extends Shutdown to January 2021

Broadway fans will have to wait even longer to finally see their favorite shows.

According to Playbill, The Broadway League has announced that all productions will remain closed through the rest of the year, which means all Broadway shows are shuttered until at least Jan. 3, 2020.

Arts organizations around the world, including Broadway productions and theaters, have taken a massive hit due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. As the rest of New York City shuttered its businesses back in March, Broadway shows have also been waiting and hoping for the day when it can finally welcome theatergoers again.

Originally, The Broadway League announced that productions would go dark until June 7, but then was extended until Sept. 6, according to Playbill. But the ongoing crisis also means that plans will have to change depending on the latest news surrounding the pandemic. According to Playbill, the highly anticipated revival of The Music Man, starring Sutton Foster and Hugh Jackman, has already moved its planned opening for fall 2020 until May 2021.

It’s unclear how this extended closure will affect the New York theater scene as a whole, but The Broadway League assures fans in a statement that the industry is sure to bounce back.

“We are determined to bring back the people who rely on this industry for their livelihood, and to welcome back all those who love this vital part of New York City, as soon as it is safe to do so," League President Charlotte St. Martin said in a statement. “As so many of us in the Broadway community have been saying during this time: We'll be back, and we have so many more stories to tell.”

The Broadway League expected to reopen shows on a rolling basis next year, rather than all at once, according to Playbill. New safety precautions like sanitization and health screening may also be considered upon reopening.