It's going to be really tough but there is no other way. Tourism is a major driver of Broadway and it's an in person experience that doesn't effectively crossover to a podcast or streaming for most theater goers. New York is on the mend and hopefully there is more of a national policy to take the COVID 19 crisis seriously once and for all.
Mark, it's really a sad thing that it can truly be said that the show can't go on. Everyone and everything is being affected by this and the real question is what comes next. I was hopeful that some shape or form of indoor dining would be allowed in NYC but that was also postponed indefinitely as well. That dovetails with tourism and culture and arts such as theater and concerts. 36 states now have spikes and travel advisories instead of state lockdowns go forward. There goes the theory that warm weather will cause the virus to subside until the colder seasons arrive again. We need leadership which unfortunately now is in a void state of existence.
Yes, I empathize with anyone who's industry is imperiled as well. This post was in regard to performances in particular.
I got a chance to read this, fascinating article and very ambitious as you noted. Thanks for posting the link!
I haven't seen a Broadway show since I was kid visiting my grandmother in NYC. Wasn't there an issue not too long ago in regard to using actual musicians? I mean... I wouldn't even want to see a show with canned music, but was wondering just how common that had become on Broadway.
Lloyd Webber was talking about it on the radio and said they were replacing metal rails and handles with a type of metal that resists Covid virus, I'm not sure he was convinced that it works, and don't ask me what it is, but they're doing it anyway. I've never cared for the man or his music but I tip my hat to him here. The Palladium is the largest theatre in town so if he can make it work then it will be a guide for other theatres across the world, as long as they're prepared to pay for it. I think the money is of little account to him. If it fails then, as he says, at least they tried.
I think you're right, Dave. I'm just old enough to be on the tail end of a period of time when you could solely play gigs (and maybe teach lessons on the side, but there was enough work to sustain). FWIW, I'm 46 so this was twenty years ago when I got out of school. The writing has been on the wall for quite a while in terms of steady decline, I think the pandemic just really emphasizes this of course. For me, the gradual slowdown of work coincided with having kids so I became the main care giver at home for the last decade and I've been lucky to take things as they come as my gig and teaching income is secondary to my wife's salary. As is, though I have been refining my home recording skills and doing some work remotely, next goal to tackle video editing. I do feel as of more motivated with these new frontiers as playing live so I'm encouraged by that in spite of the situation.
