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Broadway will officially stay dark until 2021

The shows can't go on until January 3 at the earliest

Adam Feldman
Written by
Adam Feldman
Theater and Dance Editor, Time Out USA
TKTS
Photograph: Courtesy CC/Flickr/Justin BrownTKTS
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All Broadway theaters were closed on March 12, effective immediately, to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. At that time, the shutdown was set to last through April 12; it was later extended through June 7, and then through September 6. Today, the Broadway League confirmed what many had feared: The Street will not reopen this year at all. All Broadway performances are officially canceled through at least January 3, 2021.

"The Broadway experience can be deeply personal but it is also, crucially, communal," said Thomas Schumacher, the Chairman of the Board of The Broadway League. "Every single member of our community is eager to get back to work sharing stories that inspire our audience through the transformative power of a shared live experience. The safety of our cast, crew, orchestra and audience is our highest priority and we look forward to returning to our stages only when it’s safe to do so.”

If you already have tickets for Broadway performances through January 3, 2021, you should receive an email from your point of purchase soon with information about refunds and exchanges. If you haven't received such an email by July 13, reach out to your ticket source directly at that time.  

It is unclear when Broadway shows will resume normal operations. Several shows have already announced plans to open in the spring, including the musicals The Music Man, MJCaroline, or Change and Flying Over Sunset and the plays The MinutesAmerican Buffalo, Plaza Suite and How I Learned to Drive. 

Two productions, Hangmen and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, have already announced that they would never open; the Disney musical Frozen will not reopen, and Beetlejuice, which had been scheduled to close on June 6, ended earlier than planned. Other closures seem likely to follow. 

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