Mayor de Blasio to Announce Broadway Guidelines for Coronavirus Response

Earlier this morning, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke to CNN about new rules for the theater community, expected to be issued by the government by tomorrow in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. When asked by reporter John Berman about the imminent future of Broadway, de Blasio said: "This is the kind of thing we're grappling with. Today and tomorrow we'll put out guidance. I don't want to see Broadway go dark if we can avoid it. I want to strike some kind of balance."

Berman asked how to strike such a balance, to which the mayor replied, "What we're trying to figure out— is there a way to reduce the capacity, reduce the number of people? If we cannot strike that balance, of course you can go to closure. And that's the decision we'll be making right away."

As of this morning, New York City has confirmed 62 cases of coronavirus, including a Broadway usher who recently worked at the Booth and Brooks Atkinson Theatres, which currently house productions of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Six. Neither of those shows has altered its playing schedule.

Per the March 10 announcement from producer Scott Rudin, today at noon also begins the sale of $50 tickets to To Kill a Mockingbird, West Side Story, The Lehman Trilogy, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and The Book of Mormon. Ticket holders will hear within the next day or so whether those discounted performances will be allowed to go on.