Speculation About Cancellations.

I have to believe that an announcement that Broadway will be closed for at least a few weeks after April 12 is coming soon. I’m actually surprised it hasn’t happened already, because virtually every other major cultural institution in New York is closed until at least mid-May: Carnegie Hall has cancelled performances through May 10, Lincoln Center has cancelled performances through May 17, the Metropolitan Opera has cancelled the rest of the season (which had been scheduled to end on May 9), and the Metropolitan Museum and the Museum of Modern Art are closed indefinitely. The New York Public Library, which is closed until further notice, has extended the due date for all checked-out items to June 30, which suggests that they don’t expect to re-open before then.

And yet I got email today from Theatermania offering discounts for several Broadway shows for performances in April, and stating, “Although theaters are closed at the moment, the lights of Broadway will shine again! We have confirmed with the productions below that these discount codes are valid, so we wanted to pass them on to you.” I feel sorry for anyone who decides to take advantage of one of these offers, and buys tickets for a performance in April. They will get their money back, of course, but it seems like they’re being set up for disappointment when the performance is cancelled (which it almost certainly will be).

Governors in states in far better shape than New York have extended stay-in-place orders through all of April and some already into May. There is absolutely no way Broadway shows will resume before Memorial Day.

If Hello Dolly gets pushed back, would I be able to get a refund rather than exchange dates?

Maybe not just refresher rehearsals either. I can envisage that many productions may well have to rehearse in new cast members. I would be surprised if, after months off, every single cast member would both want and be able to return to a production. Some of them might have other acting jobs they are already commited to move on to while others, having had to find other work during the closures, may decide to continue with that work.

I had an email from the Lighthouse in Poole about The Sooty Show being rescheduled to April next year (yes I'm 25 and yes I still watch Sooty). Also got an email from The Hexagon in Reading about Rachel Parris being rescheduled from June to October

Received an email from a local theatre telling me that a show I'd booked tickets for tomorrow evening will be rescheduled to a later date. The email continues to say that if the new date is not suitable, they will issue a credit voucher valid for 12 months but a refund will not be an option since the event has not been cancelled.

The line-up of shows at this theatre tends to be mainly one-night, music-based acts and there's nothing else coming up there I want to see. Am I right in thinking if a performance is cancelled and re-scheduled, I'm legally entitled to a refund if I can't make the new date?

German government is in the process of passing a new law, that allows theatres, concert venues etc. to give vouchers instead of refunds. This is to protect the enterteinment sector from bancruptcy. Vouchers will be valid until the end of 2021 and if you haven't used it by then, you will get a refund after all. But if the venue/production goes bancrupt in the meantime...nada.

I see The Stage has started speculation on the possible length of cancellations, currently tentatively going for around September t.co/fd7WutceOk The article also links to this report cdn.charcoalblue.com/files/News/Performance-Buildings-in-the-Post-Pandemic-World.pdf?mtime=20200401150717 which I found very interesting.

I hate to say it but I think ALW is right about September at the earliest.
That would mean that every single show I have booked will be cancelled apart from Assassin's at Chichester in November and Cilla in Birmingham in November.
How sad is that.

I think your best bet would be to phone or email the theatre box office, or the main contact number or email for the theatre group if its Delfont Mackintosh, ATG or whatever. You should be due the same refund or credit as someone who booked any other way but not sure how they would handle the logistics of it.

Some people have been annoucing concerts for like September haven't they? It gives me a tiny bit of hope that my theatre trip in August might still go ahead.

Cinemas are lobbying to open in June. Obviously no chance of this happening and if it did I wouldn't go near one, not yet anyway. I worked in a cinema and believe me, cinema punters can't be trusted to find their seats normally, never mind if there has to be a few seats gap between them.

www.theguardian.com/film/2020/may/06/uk-cinemas-lobbying-government-for-june-reopening?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other