Broadway Shows Closing in New York City Amid Coronavirus Outbreak

Governor Cuomo announced on Thursday, March 12, that all Broadway shows would be closed due to Coronavirus outbreak, effective 5pm that night. The news came one day after confirmation that two Broadway ushers had tested positive for COVID-19.

Jesse McKinley broke the news on Twitter, writing “BREAKING: @NYGovCuomo announces almost-immediate closing of Broadway, the city’s largest tourist industry. 5 PM tonight.” The news came hours after Deadline reported that Broadway producers had scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss a potential month-long shutdown of all shows to prevent further spread of the virus.

Currently, Broadway is expected to resume shows after the Easter holiday, celebrated on Sunday, April 12.

The Shutdown Will Impact Several New Broadway Shows That Were Expected to Open This Month

The new Broadway show “Six” was supposed to open on Thursday, March 12, with tickets available to the public for shows starting Friday, March 13. In light of the immediate, temporary closing of all Broadway shows, that opening night performance is not expected to happen as scheduled.

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