Broadway shuts down until April due to coronavirus pandemic

Due to the measures being taken in New York to prevent the spread of coronavirus, Broadway is shutting down temporarily.

Across the globe, local and national governments are taking the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) as much as possible. Many states have put a limit on the number of people who can gather in one place, and New York has joined them in doing so — though in a city with more than one million people living in it, that’s easier said than done.

Still, Gov. Andrew Cuomo took to Twitter to announce that events with 500 or more people in attendance won’t be allowed in New York State beginning March 13 at 5 p.m. And as it turns out, the large-scale gatherings that have been postponed for the time being include Broadway shows. That’s right, Broadway performances have been canceled and are scheduled to resume April 12 — assuming the situation has improved by that point.

While this seems to be the safest course of action in the midst of this global pandemic, it has had an impact on the Broadway shows scheduled to debut during this time period. Six will no longer be celebrating an opening night this week, and a number of other shows that were scheduled to open or enter previews this month will need to reschedule.

Broadway has assured attendees who bought tickets that they’ll be contacted regarding reimbursement, and new show dates will likely follow when there’s a clearer picture of the situation. In addition to Broadway shows halting operations, many other arts institutions in Manhattan — including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Metropolitan Opera — have also temporarily closed their doors.

For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health.