Broadway bounces back from pandemic abyss with nearly all 41 theaters open

Broadway is taking it to nan location again.

Confounding gloomy portrayals of a pandemic-crippled theatre industry, each but 1 of 41 Broadway venues will beryllium unfastened for performances successful November — nan first period truthful galore person been progressive since 2018, according to nan Broadway League, nan industry’s waste and acquisition organization.

And nan only acheronian shape adjacent period won’t beryllium acheronian for agelong — nan Nederlander connected West 41st Street will big “Wicked” prima Idina Menzel’s triumphant return to Broadway successful “Redwood” successful January.

Nederlander Organization president Jimmy Nederlander enthused, “Every 1 of these shows intends activity for actors, musicians, designers, imaginative teams, stagehands, container agency staff, beforehand of location teams and truthful galore others. It’s been a agelong roadworthy to commencement to bring this manufacture backmost and we’re each moving difficult to support this momentum going.”

Broadway really drew much theatergoers and raked successful much mixed astatine nan container agency successful nan week ending Oct. 24 this twelvemonth than it did successful nan week ending Oct. 27, 2019, erstwhile business was astatine its peak.

Shrugging disconnected qualms astir summons prices arsenic precocious arsenic $300 and worries astir crime, 282,356 group flocked to Broadway shows past week, compared pinch 278,087 for nan week ending Oct. 27, 2019, according to nan League. More money was spent astatine nan container office, excessively — $34,689,137 past week complete $33,583,842 for nan comparable week successful 2019.

The numbers will apt soar pinch nan imminent opening of “Tammy Faye,” nan buzzed-over London deed astir nan colorful televangelist pinch a people by Elton John. It will commencement performances this week arsenic nan first full-stage accumulation astatine nan spectacularly restored Palace Theater, which was moved astir nan area from Seventh Avenue to West 47th Street.

The betterment is boosted by nan return of visitors and business travelers to nan metropolis — immoderate 62 cardinal successful 2023, astir arsenic galore arsenic successful 2019 — and nan full is expected to beryllium higher this year.

Total attendance was 17% little successful 2023-2024 than successful nan highest twelvemonth of 2018-2019. But nan Broadway “season” runs from mid-June to mid-June, erstwhile nan Tony Awards are announced. Attendance since June 16 is up 8% complete nan comparable months successful 2023, nan League said.

Reflecting confidence, nan Broadway League and nan Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds will big its yearly Broadway Salutes arena connected Tuesday astatine Sardi’s — nan first clip its staging nan spectacle since 2019.

Broadway’s revival is welcomed by nan scores of businesses successful nan West 40s and 50s that dangle connected drafting customers from adjacent shows.

Shelly Fireman launched his Italian spot Bond 45 successful nan Edison Hotel successful 2018 partially because it’s connected a artifact pinch 4 theaters, including nan Richard Rodgers, location to “Hamilton.”

But Ben Grossman, Fireman’s main strategy officer, said, “We are truthful happy to spot Broadway’s beardown betterment yet return root.

“Two of nan 4 theaters connected West 46th Street person been closed for astir of nan past 5 years. But ‘Death Becomes Her’ conscionable opened astatine nan Lunt-Fontanne and ‘Elf’ opens astatine nan Marquis connected Nov. 9. It will beryllium nan first clip each nan theaters will beryllium unfastened since 2020.”

Even restaurants northbound of astir theaters, for illustration classical steakhouse Gallagher’s connected West 52nd Street, person benefited from accrued traffic.

Owner Dean Poll said diners connected their measurement to aliases from “MJ” astatine nan Neil Simon tin make “35 much covers a nighttime — almost 250 much a week.”