Broadway Extends Shutdown To At Least June 7

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Broadway theaters will continue to suspend performances through June 7 in accordance with guidelines on preventing the spread of coronavirus issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the Broadway League announced Wednesday.

Broadway productions — which were one of the first events in New York City to shut down in early March — will refund customers holding tickets though June 7, the Broadway League said in a statement. Customers can expect to receive an email with information on how to claim a refund, according to the statement.

"Our top priority continues to be the health and well-being of Broadway theatregoers and the thousands of people who work in the theatre industry every day, including actors, musicians, stagehands, ushers, and many other dedicated professionals," Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, said in a statement.

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The initial suspension of Broadway productions targeted April 12 as a reopening date, but New York City has since become the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's "PAUSE" order, shutting down schools and all nonessential business, was extended through the end of April this week. The state government is reevaluating PAUSE on a two-week basis, and Gov. Cuomo has been hesitant to identify a date when business may return to normal in New York.

When the suspension was first announced, there were just 62 confirmed coronavirus cases in the city.

As of April 7, 74,601 people have tested positive for the virus in New York City and 3,544 people have died, according to city officials. The real number is expected to be significantly higher because of the difficulty to get tested and because numbers don't include people who die at home.

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