Genie Out of the Bottle

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After 18 months, with much fanfare, Disney‘s Aladdin returned to the New Amsterdam Theater on Broadway. The show was then summarily shut down when there were breakthrough cases of COVID-19 among the cast. One of their washes for the genie should have been an infection free run of the show.

All performances of the popular musical through Sunday, Oct. 10, are off. In a statement, the company said, “Although negative PCR testing allowed us to move safely forward with last night’s performance of Aladdin at The New Amsterdam Theatre, additional breakthrough COVID-19 cases were detected within the company today.”

Blythe Adamson, the epidemiologist working with Disney Theatrical Productions on its Broadway shows said, “This 12-day pause allows the Aladdin company ample time to ensure that people with breakthroughs recover, and any other potential breakthroughs are identified before the Aladdin company gathers again.”

Added Disney, “Because the wellness and safety of our guests, cast and crew remain our top priority, we feel the prudent decision is to cancel performances starting tonight, Friday, October 1 through Sunday, October 10. We will continue to provide support to the affected Aladdin company members as they recover. The Broadway League announced that all Broadway venues would continue to require COVID vaccinations for audiences, performers and staff through the end of the year, at which time the policy will be reviewed for another possible extension.

Times Square Pop-Up

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On March 12, 2020 Broadway in NYC went black due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. All 41 Broadway theaters shuttered their performances. A solid year has gone by with no live theater on Broadway. This has been the longest shutdown in Broadway’s  history. To mark the one year anniversary, a live pop-up concert titled We Will Be Back, was held in commemoration of the industry’s lost year. Disney‘s Frozen was the first musical to shutter permanently.

The pop up concert provided a sense of hope as the industry and city move forward from the challenges of the past year. Over 97,000 arts workers have suffered during the theaters darkest hours. All the performers at this pop up performance were paid.

“I don’t think anyone of us expected it to last this long,” Brian Stokes Mitchell said. “That’s what’s been so shocking about it. It’s why I’m so happy I’ve been with the Actors Fund and to be able to help people get all through this terrible, terrible time we’re going through.”

The gathering was presented by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, NYCNext, and the Times Square Alliance. It is directed and produced by Holly-Anne Devlin/Kaleidoscope Entertainment, and Executive Produced by Blake Ross. Social distancing, face shields and masks were the norm.

The $17 billion a year theater industry still doesn’t know when it will get back to work, but the feeling is certainly optimistic.

Broadway for Orlando at Dr. Phillips.

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I heard that tickets for this Broadway benefit concert sold out in less than 15 minutes’ It was possible to check in on). be for the tickets were officially be sold and these people, in a virtual line had the first picks. Broadway performers came to the Dr. Phillips Center for Performing Arts to raise money for the Pulse victim families and survivors. It was a Star studded cabaret. The local dance company Varietease gave a mesmerizing dance performance full of playful whimsy. My favorite song was “I will Survive” performed as if sung be Eartha Kitt complete with purrs. Most performances featured uplifting themes of hope.

The idea for the benefit [a when a perform heard the horrible new from Orlando. Rather than eat comfort food, he decided to go for a bike ride to clear his head. He played “What the World Needs Now” on a continuous loop as he biked through the city. He knew by the end of the ride, that he needed to record Broadway performers singing 1 song for Orlando. He mentioned the idea to a friend and it snowballed from there be coming a reality. The grand finale had the entire cast singing “What the World needs now is Love Sweet Love“. A viral You Tube video had been recorded as an homage to Orlando’s loss, so this was a much awaited performance. Actors raised their hands a bore their heads creating a heart shape with their fingertips.