The cast of Wicked returns to the stage at the Gershwin Theatre
New York City as a whole has long been known as a cultural and artistic mecca. Yet when the Covid-19 pandemic hit, many of the city’s finest cultural institutions closed their doors. Broadway was among them.
Thankfully, the lights shine on Broadway theaters once more as performances of The Lion King, Hamilton, and Wicked resumed performances on September 14th. Lisa Leguillou, associate director of Wicked and mother of junior Rodin McKenna, expressed her giddy apprehension at the reopening of Broadway: “I am looking forward to our tourists coming back and the rest of the Tri-State.”
Broadway doesn’t look like what it used to, though. According to Ms. Leguillou, Wicked is performed seven times a week - one fewer than the traditional eight - so that the cleaning crew has time to sanitize the set. Everyone in the theater, except the cast, is required to wear a mask, and audience members cannot go backstage. There is a Covid-19 team, regular testing, and constant masks. Ms. Leguillou stated, “[I want] everyone feeling safe enough and secure enough to come back to enjoy the theater.”
However, with change comes uncertainty. There has, understandably, been a sharp drop in the number of tourists visiting New York, the population who traditionally formed much of Broadway’s audiences. Actors and actresses, thrust back into Broadway’s rigorous schedule after over a year of not performing, have had a hard time adjusting. Logistics have become increasingly convoluted, as air filtration systems need to be set, tickets must be digitally accessible, and cast members who test positive for Covid-19 must quarantine and be quickly replaced by understudies. Amid such uncertainty, the best one can do is wait to see what comes their way and be willing to adapt to whatever that may be.
Broadway isn’t the only iconic arts institution in New York coming back to life. Carnegie Hall, widely regarded as the country’s most prestigious concert venue, reopened on October 6th after 19 months of closure. The concert season started off with Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting the Philadelphia Orchestra in performances of Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with pianist Yuja Wang, as well as a complete cycle of Beethoven’s symphonies.
However, Carnegie Hall lost millions of dollars because of the Covid-19 pandemic; in July of 2020, nearly half of the staff was furloughed. The same goes for the nearby Metropolitan Opera, the largest performing arts organization in the nation. The members of Met’s orchestra were not paid for 19 months, causing many musicians to retire or quit. Only on August 24th of this year did management finally reach an agreement with the orchestra, where all pit musicians would be paid for the 2021-2022 concert season.
Ultimately, the return of the arts in New York City heralds a sense of hope and renewal, however uncertain this return may be. Carnegie Hall’s executive and artistic director, Clive Gillinson, expressed optimism about the revival of the city’s robust arts culture. In an interview with the New York Times, he stated, “I do think the arts will come roaring back… Culture is the magnet that actually makes New York New York.”
