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Ticket sales show Broadway is making a big return
It's looking like the Great White Way is on the comeback trail, with many Broadway shows playing to packed houses.
NEW YORK - The Broadway League says all 41 Broadway theatres in New York City will adopt a "mask optional" policy for the month of July. Audience members are still encouraged to wear masks though.
The policy will be revisited for August and beyond on a monthly basis.
Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League said, "Millions of people enjoyed the unique magic of Broadway by watching the 75th Tony Award® Ceremony recently. Millions more have experienced Broadway LIVE in theatres in New York City and throughout the U.S., since we reopened last fall. We’re thrilled to welcome even more of our passionate fans back to Broadway in the exciting 22-23 season that has just begun."
The onset of the pandemic in 2020 forced Broadway to shut down for more than 15 months. Productions began returning to the stage in September 2021 but several shows never reopened. COVID cases among cast and crew have forced some shows to go dark temporarily.
When theaters reopened, they required all audience members to wear masks and provide proof of vaccination. Then in April, theaters were allowed to opt-out of the proof-of-vax requirement.
Nearly a quarter of a million people have been attending Broadway shows weekly during the spring, St. Martin said. That is still down from 2019's weekly average of about 281,000, according to Broadway League data.