Broadway turned on in 387 days… 150 people watching the theater with 1700 seats

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 4th (local time) that the stage lights were turned on in 387 days at the Broadway concert hall in New York, USA, which was closed due to the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) epidemic.

Tap dancer Sabian Glover and actor Nathan Lane at 1pm on the 3rd (local time) on the stage of the St. James Theater, one of Broadway’s largest venues. In the 1700-seat seat, 150 people wearing masks were scattered. This 36-minute performance was a demonstration held in honor of the New York State authorities allowing various performances within 33% of the capacity. This is the first concert held since all 41 venues on Broadway closed on March 12 last year.

Glover, a famous Tony Award-winning tap dancer, spontaneously performed songs and dances in works he appeared or influenced, such as the musical’Chorus Line’,’Tap Dance Kid’,’Dream Girls’, and ’42nd Street’. Rain, a Tony Award-winning and Emmy Award-winning actor, played a comic monodrama written by playwright Paul Ludnik. In the monodrama, he played the role of an avid fan who wants to meet Broadway stars such as Hugh Jackman, Patty Lupon and Odra McDonald.

After the show, Lane said in an interview with NYT, “Today’s show was a baby’s footsteps towards the reopening,” and “it signaled that we are coming back.” Jerry Jax, who directed the event, said, “Now it seems to be beating a faint pulse.”

Safety measures for the performance on this day include limiting the number of people, wearing a mask, and placing seats at a distance. All attendees presented the results of the Corona 19 test or proof that they had been fully vaccinated, and filled out a digital questionnaire to reconfirm the symptoms of Corona 19. The organizers arranged the arrival times of visitors alternately and did not provide drinks. NYT explained that the St. James Theater was built in 1927 as one of the largest theaters on Broadway. In the process of remodeling the building in 2017, a modern ventilation system was installed, and the air filter was also replaced last year to reduce the spread of viruses in the air.

Starting with this performance, nine events will be held on Broadway over the next 10 weeks. However, NYT explained, “Most producers don’t expect large plays and musicals to return to Broadway by the fall,” said NYT. “It’s financially improper to reopen in the face of reduced capacity.”

Reporter Jeong Young-gyo [email protected]