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NEW YORK – New York’s celebrated Broadway theaters have been closed since March 12 and may not reopen before September. The real fear is that without public funds to help them weather the crisis, some theaters may never reopen.
Its neon lights still glow at night, but for almost two months, as New York has become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, there have been no queues outside the numerous theaters around Times Square.
In normal times, those theaters would receive $ 33 million a week in receipts. Now nothing.
Theater professionals were paid two weeks when their stores closed, but now they have nothing but unemployment benefits, and the chaos in New York’s overwhelmed unemployment offices means many have so far received nothing.
“Unfortunately, it’s almost impossible for a performance musician to make money right now,” said Clayton Craddock, drummer for the musical comedy orchestra “Ain’t Too Proud.”
The base salary for most musicians or actors is around $ 2,000 per week, according to various sources, although it can exceed considerably.
Adam Krauthamer, president of Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, said several union members have already been killed by COVID-19.
Of the 16 shows preparing to open when Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the closure on March 12, only two have officially abandoned their plans.
“It would be safe to say that there will be some who will not return, but we don’t have that information yet,” said Charlotte St. Martin, who heads the Broadway League, a trade association.
Leaving things even more moving, there is a complete lack of certainty as to when theaters could reopen, with July at the most optimistic end of projections, but September seems much more likely.
And the idea, studied by some sports organizations, of playing before empty stadiums, or before the crowds dwindled, simply wouldn’t work for Broadway, professionals say.
“The financial model for Broadway is such that social distancing just won’t work,” said St. Martin. “A program could not maintain its accounts even with houses that were 50 percent or less occupied.”
Plays and musicals are classified as mass gatherings, and “most likely will be the last to reopen,” he said.
In addition, St. Martin said, “We still don’t have information on what it will take for mass gatherings to take place,” whether theater goers, for example, have to wear masks or have their temperature taken.
“The general mood among my colleagues about earning a living playing music has never been darker,” said Maxim Moston, violinist in the “Moulin Rouge” musical orchestra.
“I think we are all a bit desperate,” he added. “And I think a lot of people are thinking about other races right now.”
‘THE CITY NEEDS THE WAY’
Moston, who is also an arranger, has been working on several other projects.
“I’m thinking of this as a great reset button in life,” said another Broadway musician who declined to be named.
“If Broadway comes back in September and I can keep playing … and making a living like that, great,” he said. “But I am prepared for the possibility that it will be more complicated.”
Clayton Craddock said he is optimistic about one thing: “People will want to see live music in nightclubs, concert venues, restaurants and Broadway theaters sooner rather than later. People are hungry for human interaction.”
As he struggles to hold on until things begin to recover, Broadway has mobilized, pressuring the US Congress. USA To get support as you build your next financial aid package.
But if “it doesn’t fit into those packages for workers who work in symphony orchestras on Broadway, we just won’t do it,” Krauthamer said.
“I can’t be more clear.”
“Economically, the city needs Broadway to be alive and healthy, for tourism, hotels and restaurants to be better,” said St. Martin, who cited a study showing that Broadway contributes nearly $ 15 billion to the economy. local.
“In order for us to remain open, for many of the shows, we will need some form of support,” he added.
Another question: even after the opening of Broadway, will people be ready to return to a city so affected by the pandemic?
“Music will always be necessary,” said Maxim Moston.
But, he added, “I can imagine people who don’t want to go out in groups or visit New York for a long time.”
© Agence France-Presse
