Showbiz Sandbox

Showbiz Sandbox


Showbiz Sandbox 494: Broadway Productions Remain In The Dark About Reopening

May 19, 2020

Broadway theaters and their equivalent in the West End and local communities around the world face a much huge hurdle in reopening after being closed for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Productions now face challenges such as paying rent for theaters which aren’t holding performances, houses that don’t accommodate social distancing, an aging audience, a lack of tourists, canceled shows and more.
The list of delayed productions is too long to cover, but even shows on hold, shows that were touring or playing on Broadway are calling it quits. Last week, the Donna Summer touring musical shut down for good along with Disney’s “Frozen.” The musical was suffering from falling grosses, but even so, the move sent shivers through the Broadway community.
Of course we also cover some of the week’s top entertainment headlines including why the Hollywood Bowl is going dark for the first time in 98 years, bull riding competitions get the green light and which North American network topped the rating last season.

Which AMC?! TV Company Stock Pops, Theater Circuit Dips After Amazon Rumor Gets Rewrite
https://deadline.com/2020/05/amc-networks-shares-rise-amc-entertainment-dips-after-amazon-report-update-1202932702/
Hollywood Bowl Season Canceled for the First Time in 98 Years
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2020-05-13/hollywood-bowl-cancels-2020-season-summer-coronavirus
2019-20 TV Season Ratings: Fox To Win Demo After Long Dry Spell
https://deadline.com/2020/05/tv-ratings-2019-2020-final-rankings-masked-singer-sunday-night-football-fox-cbs-1202935271/
Endeavor’s Pro Bull Riders Will Allow Fans in Arena at South Dakota Event
https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/pro-bull-riders-south-dakota-1234599062/
Broadway Reopening Date is Just a Guess at This Point
https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-coronavirus-when-will-broadway-reopen-20200516-grikxfkej5e5vmctezqvau4i2u-story.html
Broadway Will Be Dark This Summer Amid the Coronavirus
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/its-certainly-sobering-to-know-that-new-york-will-be-without-broadway-this-summer-why-broadway-cant-bounce-back-from-the-coronavirus-shutdown-any-time-soon-2020-05-15
Shakespeare’s Globe Will Close Without Govt Funding
http://bway.ly/6ymw3y#https://deadline.com/2020/05/shakespeare-globe-theatre-facing-closure-coronavirus-1202936997/
Disney Closes ‘Frozen’ on Broadway, Citing Pandemic
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/14/theater/frozen-broadway-closing-virus.html