Just days after New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio projected a July 1 re-opening of the city, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has accelerated the timeline to May 19th. 

According to the governor, theatres — along with restaurants, salons, stores, gyms, museums and cinemas — will no longer be required to impose strict limits on the number of people who may enter their place of business as of that date. 

But despite the loosening of the rules, Broadway isn’t expected to fully re-open until September.  Productions must be cast and staffed, rehearsals must take place, tickets must be sold, and the theatres themselves must be prepped for productions.  Some social distancing requirements may remain, and Broadway producers must navigate this requirement.  

As we previously reported, Broadway is expected to re-open in waves with blockbuster-level shows opening fist. 

Regardless, this is incredible news not only for the theatre community itself but for the hundreds of ancillary businesses which rely on Broadway for their success.  Broadway is a multi-billion dollar business for NYC:  restaurants, bars, hotels, tour operators, car services, vendors, etc. all rely on a robust Broadway to survive.   A May re-opening is welcome news for business owners and literally tens of thousands of employees.

In a related move, the Governor also announced plans to resume New York City’s subway service to a 24-hour-a-day schedule beginning May 17th, 2021.