BROADWAY LEAGUE SHARES NEWS OF RECOVERY

> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO 'METROFOCUS.'

I'M JACK FORD.

IT HAS NOW BEEN OVER A YEAR SINCE THE LIGHTS WENT OUT ON BROADWAY.

THEATER DOORS HAVE BEEN SHUTTERED SINCE MARCH OF 2020 DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, MAKING THIS THE LONGEST SHUTDOWN IN BROADWAY'S STORIED HISTORY.

NOW AS NEW YORK STATE BEGINS TO EASE LOCKDOWNS AND PROVIDE GUIDELINES TO SAFELY REOPEN VENUES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MONTHS, THERE IS SOME HOPE ON THE GREAT WHITE WAY.

JOINING ME NOW TO DISCUSS COVID-19'S IMPACT ON THE BROADWAY THEATER DISTRICT, ON THE ECONOMY AND ALSO BROADWAY'S PLANS TO REOPEN SAFELY IS PRESIDENT OF THE BROADWAY LEAGUE CHARLOTTE ST. MARTIN.

CHARLOTTE, WELCOME.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU BACK WITH US.

IT'S GREAT TO BE BACK, JACK.

BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT MOVING FORWARD, LET ME TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT HERE.

IT HAS BEEN EXTRAORDINARY.

LET'S START WITH THE IMPACT ON THE INDUSTRY, ON THE BROADWAY INDUSTRY, THOSE WHO ARE EMPLOYED BY THE BROADWAY INDUSTRY.

HOW CAN YOU CHARACTERIZE IT FOR US?

IT'S BEEN NOTHING SHORT OF DYNAMIC LOSS.

THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN UNEMPLOYED IS JUST STAGGERING.

WE'VE NEVER HAD A TIME IN HISTORY WHERE THAT WAS THE CASE FOR THIS INDUSTRY.

THE ESTIMATES ARE BETWEEN 60 AND 70%. PEOPLE HAVE LEFT NEW YORK AND MOVED HOME SO THEY COULD LIVE WITH FAMILY IF THEY COULD NOT FIND WORK.

UNFORTUNATELY WITH THEATER, AN AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T GET JOBS CAN THEN GO WORK IN THE HOSPITALITY OR RESTAURANT BUSINESS AND THAT'S BEEN DECIMATED AS WELL.

SO IT'S BEEN NOTHING SHORT OF DISAS DISASTROUS.

I SAW AN ARTICLE TALKING ABOUT FOCUSED ON ONE PRODUCTION AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE THERE AND WHAT'S HAPPENED TO THEM.

I WAS STRUCK BY HOW MANY OF THEM SAID, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'LL EVER BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO BROADWAY AGAIN.

HOW CONCERNED ARE ALL OF YOU THAT NOT ONLY HAVE YOU LOST PEOPLE, BUT YOU MIGHT HAVE LOST THEM FOREVER?

WELL, I MEAN, WE REALLY WON'T KNOW UNTIL WE'RE BACK AND WE TRY TO GET THOSE 31 SHOWS THAT HAVE SAID THEY'LL BE BACK, PLUS THE NEW SHOWS.

WHAT I DO KNOW ABOUT OUR PEOPLE IS, THEY REALLY ARE ADDICTED TO THEATER.

IT IS IN THEIR HEART, THEIR SOUL.

SOMETHING TELLS ME THEY'LL BE BACK.

I MEAN THAT PHRASE 'THE SHOW MUST GO ON' IS REAL IN OUR PEOPLE'S LIVES.

CERTAINLY THAT ADDICTION TO THEATER IS A BLESSING FOR ALL OF US TO HAVE THEM THERE.

YOU'VE GOT A GREAT BACKDROP HERE.

I KNOW YOU ARE NOT ANYWHERE NEAR A BEACH, BUT YOU CAN TELL THEATER PEOPLE.

I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS BACKDROP LOOK GOOD FOR EVERYBODY.

IT'S HARD TO COME UP WITH EXACT NUMBERS, BUT THERE'S SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS IN TERMS OF WHAT THIS HAS MEANT TO THE LOSS NOT JUST OF BROADWAY, BUT TO THE BUSINESSES IN THE AREA, TO NEW YORK CITY IN GENERAL.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE BROADWAY LEAGUE DOES IS, WE DO AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF RESEARCH ON THE DEMOGRAPHICS, ON OUR ECONOMY.

SO WE HAVE EXCELLENT INFORMATION.

OUR LAST FULL YEAR OF OPERATION THE ECONOMIC IMPACT REFLECTED FOR NEW YORK CITY WAS ALMOST $15 BILLION.

IT WAS $14.7 BILLION.

AND IT REFLECTS THAT WE'VE DIRECTLY EMPLOY OR ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR 97,000 JOBS IN NEW YORK CITY ALONE.

SO THAT'S REAL IMPACT.

WE PAY OVER A BILLION DOLLARS IN TAXES TO NEW YORK CITY AND NEW YORK STATE.

SO THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IS HARD ON EVERYONE, INCLUDING OUR CITY AND STATE.

AS WE TALK ABOUT MOVING FORWARD, I DO WANT TO MENTION TO YOU THE POPUPS WE'VE SEEN TAKING PLACE IN NEW YORK.

I HAVEN'T BEEN IN THE CITY AT ALL, BUT I'VE SEEN THEM ON THE NEWS.

THEY JUST LOOK LIKE THEY ARE SUCH A MOMENT OF SALVATION FOR PEOPLE IN THE CITY.

HOW DID THE IDEA FOR THAT COME ABOUT, AND HOW DO YOU PUT THEM TOGETHER?

ACTUALLY, I THINK THIS WAS THE GOVERNOR'S IDEA, AND I THINK IN THE BEGINNING HE HAD NO IDEA OF HOW MUCH PEOPLE MISSED THEIR ENTERTAINMENT AND ESPECIALLY THEATER AND THE ARTS.

SCOTT RUDEN AND JANE ROSENTHAL WERE TAPPED TO DO OVER 300 POPUPS BEFORE LABOR DAY.

THEY ARE REALLY BUSY.

I THINK THE WHOLE POINT OF THEM IS TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET BACK TO LIFE AS NORMAL AT SOME POINT AND TO GIVE THEM AN APPETITE FOR RETURNING.

SO TALKING ABOUT GETTING BACK TO NORMAL AT SOME POINT, I AM SURE YOU ARE CONSTANTLY BESIEGED -- AND I'M GOING TO JOIN THE CHORUS HERE -- BY PEOPLE SAYING, OKAY, WHEN?

OBVIOUSLY THIS IS FAIRLY INEXACT IN TERMS OF THESE ESTIMATES HERE, BUT WHEN WOULD YOU THINK THAT PERHAPS YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SHOWS AND PRODUCTIONS OPENING UP IN BROADWAY THEATERS?

WELL, RIGHT NOW WE'RE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC THAT EARLY FALL IS THE TIME WHEN WE WILL START TO SEE THE CURTAINS RISE AGAIN.

DR. FAUCI ACTUALLY SAID ABOUT A MONTH AGO THAT IF THINGS CONTINUED AT THE CURRENT PACE, MEANING, THE INCIDENCE RATE GOING DOWN AND THE VACCINE RATE GOING UP, THAT IT WAS VERY POSSIBLE FOR THEATER TO OPEN IN THE FALL OF 2021.

AND SO FAR IN NEW YORK CITY BOTH OF THOSE THINGS ARE GOING ALONG THE LINES THAT HE TALKED ABOUT.

NOBODY DROPPED A CRYSTAL BALL ON MY DOORSTEP YESTERDAY, SO I CAN'T REALLY SAY AND IT REALLY DOES DEPEND UPON THE GOVERNOR AND THE SCIENTISTS AND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH THAT SAY, OKAY, THIS LOOKS LIKE WE CAN DO THIS.

BECAUSE AS I'VE SAID, WE CANNOT SOCIALLY DISTANCE.

IT JUST DOESN'T WORK FOR US.

SO BASICALLY EVERYTHING HAS TO BE RIGHT, BECAUSE WE WILL NOT RETURN UNTIL WE ARE ASSURED THAT OUR AUDIENCE, OUR CAST AND OUR CREW IS SAFE.

ONCE AGAIN WE'RE TALKING WITH CHARLOTTE ST. MARTIN, WHO IS THE PRESIDENT OF THE BROADWAY LEAGUE, ABOUT PLANS FOR BROADWAY MOVING FORWARD.

WE'RE HEARING THE SUGGESTION THAT VENUES CAN OPEN WITH A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF SEATS, IF YOU WILL.

WE SAW THE NFL SEASON TAKE PLACE WITH SMALL NUMBERS OF FOLKS IN THE STADIUMS.

RIGHT NOW AS YOU AND I ARE SPEAKING THE NCAA TOURNAMENT IS TAKING PLACE WITH A SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE IN THESE BUILDINGS.

BUT THAT'S A DIFFERENT BUSINESS MODEL.

THEY MAKE THEIR MONEY FROM TELEVISION.

SO IS THERE A PERCENTAGE THAT PEOPLE SAY, OKAY, 40, 50% FOR MOVIE THEATERS, THAT'S GREAT.

WHAT ABOUT FOR BROADWAY THEATERS?

WHAT DO YOU NEED IN THE SEATS FOR YOU TO EXIST?

OF COURSE, THERE'S NO EXACT SCIENCE, BECAUSE TWO SHOWS THAT HAVE TWO ACTORS AND SOME SHOWS THAT HAVE 60 AND AN ORCHESTRA.

BUT THE AVERAGE RULE OF THUMB THAT WE SAY WE NEED IS 75% OF THE SEATS IN OUR THEATERS TO BE FILLED.

SOME SHOWS NEED 90%, THEY'RE SUCH EXPENSIVE PRODUCTIONS.

I MEAN, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR 300-400 PEOPLE TO BE INVOLVED IN PUTTING ON A SHOW.

THOSE PEOPLE ARE THE BEST THEATRICAL EMPLOYEES IN THE WORLD, BUT THEY'RE ALSO THE MOST EXPENSIVE.

SO WE CAN'T DO AT 30%. PEOPLE SAY, WELL, WHAT IF YOU DID 30%? I SAY, THE SHOWS WOULD CLOSE IN A WEEK OR TWO, AND WE DON'T WANT THAT EITHER.

WHEN YOU AND I LAST SPOKE A NUMBER OF MONTHS AGO, YOU HAD AN INTERESTING ANSWER TO THE QUESTION I POSED ABOUT GETTING PEOPLE BACK INTO THE THEATERS.

YOU SAID THEN, IT'S NOT A FUNCTION OF WHAT THE GOVERNMENT MIGHT SAY THE NUMBERS ARE, IT'S A FUNCTION OF WHEN THE THEATER-GOERS WILL BE COMFORTABLE COMING BACK INTO THESE THEATERS.

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ALL ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DO TO HELP MAKE ENOUGH OF THE THEATER-GOERS COMFORTABLE THAT THEY WILL SAY, ALL RIGHT, I'M READY, I'M READY TO COME BACK IN AND SIT DOWN IN THIS THEATER AND WATCH A PRODUCTION?

WELL, I THINK IT WILL BE A NUMBER OF THINGS.

WE'LL CERTAINLY HAVE SOME VISIBLE CHANGES.

I THINK THEATER-GOERS SHOULD EXPECT MASKS.

THEY SHOULD EXPECT SOME CONTACTLESS SERVICES, WHETHER IT'S TICKETING OR RESTROOMS OR THE REFRESHMENT STAND.

I THINK WE'LL BE LOOKING AT POTENTIALLY DIFFERENT INGRESS AND REAGGRESGRESS TO THE THEATE.

AND WE DON'T KNOW YET ABOUT A FEW THINGS, BECAUSE THE SCIENTISTS DON'T KNOW YET, SO WE DON'T KNOW YET.

I THINK PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO HEAR THAT OTHERS WENT TO THE THEATER, HAD A GREAT TIME AND DIDN'T GET SICK TWO WEEKS LATER.

AND WORD OF MOUTH HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE BEST FORM OF ADVERTISING FOR THEATER, AND WE BELIEVE IT WILL BE THE SAME THING FOR WHEN WE RETURN.

WE'RE HEARING A LOT OF CONVERSATION AMONGST PEOPLE IN THE TRAVEL INDUSTRY, THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY ABOUT THIS IDEA OF UTILIZING PROOF OF VACCINATIONS IN SOME FASHION TO GET PEOPLE IN THE DOORS AND MAYBE AT ONE POINT MAKE THE PEOPLE, EVERYBODY AROUND EVERYBODY ELSE, IF YOU WOULD, COMFORTABLE.

ARE YOU CONSIDERING THAT AS A POSSIBILITY?

WELL, THERE'S BEEN SOME CONVERSATION IN THE STATE ABOUT A PASSPORT.

I THINK VERY EARLY IN THESE CONVERSATIONS I SUGGESTED THAT PEOPLE HAVE A CERTIFICATE THAT SAID THEY'D EITHER BEEN TESTED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS OR THEY HAD BEEN FULLY VACCINATED.

I STILL BELIEVE THAT WILL BE A VERY POWERFUL THING TO HAPPEN, BUT WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT CAPABLE OF MAKING THAT HAPPEN ON OUR OWN.

IT HAS TO BE A CITY OR A STATE-DRIVEN ACTIVITY.

AND WE HEAR THAT THERE ARE POSSIBILITIES THAT THAT COULD HAPPEN AND WILL HAPPEN.

LAST QUESTION FOR YOU.

I'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN 2 MINUTES HERE.

THIS WILL BE THE GREAT TEASER FOR BROADWAY COMING BACK.

YOU MENTIONS THERE ARE A LOT OF SHOWS THAT HAVE COMMITTED SAYING, WE'RE COMING BACK.

GIVE ME AN IDEA OF HOW MANY HAVE SAID THAT AND SOME OF THE ONES WE MIGHT RECOGNIZE THAT ARE INDEED COMMITTED TO COMING BACK.

GOODNESS, YES.

EVERY SHOW VIRNL LYVIRTUALLY HA COMMITTED TO COME BACK WHETHER IT'S 'LION KING' OR 'WICKED' OR 'PHANTOM OF THE OPERA' OR THE REVIVAL OF 'WEST SIDE STORY' OR 'BOOK OF MORMAN.'

FORTUNATELY THE BILL THAT WAS JUST APPROVED IN CONGRESS IS GOING TO GIVE A LITTLE RELIEF FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY TO BROADWAY, WHICH WILL HELP US GET OPEN AND STAY OPEN FOR A COUPLE MONTHS.

LAST QUESTION, I'LL MAKE THIS THE LAST QUESTION, REAL QUICK.

HAVE YOU BEEN SURPRISED THAT SO MANY OF THE THEATERS HAVE SAID, YEP, WE'RE ALL IN, WE'LL GET THROUGH THIS AND WE'RE COMING BACK AGAIN?

NOT A THING ABOUT THAT SURPRISES ME.

THESE PEOPLE HAVE A PASSION FOR THEIR CRAFT THAT IS UNLIKE ANY CRAFT I HAVE EVER KNOWN.

WE WILL BE BACK.

AND I THINK WE'LL BE BACK STRONGER THAN EVER.

THE PINUP DEMAND IS UNBELIEVABLE.

I CAN PROMISE YOU WHEN THE DOORS OPEN, MY WIFE AND I WILL BE THERE, WEARING MASKS, HAVING BEEN VACCINATED, WE WILL BE THERE.

ONCE AGAIN, CHARLOTTE ST.

MARTIN, PRESIDENT OF THE BROADWAY LEAGUE, IT'S SO GOOD TO TALK WITH YOU AND HEAR SOME OPTIMISTIC THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING ON BROADWAY.

YOU STAY WELL.

THANK YOU, JACK.