What I Miss About Broadway

photo by Taidgh Barron

As of the publish date of this post, I am 109 days into my personal quarantine due to the outbreak of COVID-19. That just happens to be the same number of days since Broadway has played a performance. It's an interesting parallel the more I think about it; the same day Broadway shut down, so did life as I knew it.

Today The Broadway League announced that all Broadway performances are suspended through January 3rd, 2021. Though this news isn't the least bit surprising and though we all agree The Broadway League made a wise decision for the safety and health of all involved, the theatre community is hurting. Hundreds of actors, musicians, crew members, designers, directors, ushers, box office staff, etc. are out of work for that much longer, as if the theatre industry wasn't cutthroat enough already. Fans around the world who turn to live theatre for artistic expression or a form of therapy are feeling empty and starved of the shows they cling to so dearly. Thank goodness for streaming services during this time; Broadway shows like Newsies, American Son, and Hamilton (starting July 3rd) are easily accessible at any time, any day. However, anyone who has seen a show live knows that though filmed versions are fantastic for broader accessibility, it's nothing like the real thing.

It has been almost six months since I last set foot in the theatre district of New York City. There is so much I miss. I miss waiting for hours in early morning rush lines for discounted tickets and the thrill I feel when the box office finally opens and all those hours of waiting become worth it. I miss walking by the TKTS line in Times Square and overhearing poor, unsuspecting tourists asking for 50% off tickets to Hamilton. I miss standing on 45th Street & Broadway looking towards 8th Avenue (pictured above). That is probably my favorite spot because from there you can spot nine Broadway theatres with their marquee lights sparkling. I miss walking through Shubert Alley admiring the row of show posters lining the outside walls of the Booth and Shubert Theatres. I miss the excitement of walking to a theatre for a show and feeling the same energy radiate off other audience members waiting in the queues outside each theatre. I miss standing in line waiting for the doors to open and sneaking glances at other people's ticket prices to privately gloat about my much cheaper tickets burning a hole in my pocket.

I miss the melodic beeps of the ticket scanner the ushers use to admit the audience. I miss craning my neck to read the cast board in the lobby to see what understudies might be going on that day. I miss proudly presenting my ticket to an usher and in return being handed a brand new shiny Playbill. On that note, I also miss searching for the secret stack of Playbills at the back of the house so I can grab a handful at intermission to stock up for next year's BroadwayCon Playbill Trading sessions. Most of all, I miss the hush that falls over the audience as the lights go to black as we all ready ourselves for the experience. That brief moment of silence before any action takes place is when the true magic of live theatre happens. It's a moment when hundreds of people simultaneously stop thinking about their ordinary lives, put away their devices (ideally), and prepare to be swept up in a completely new world. For the next couple of hours, hundreds of people breathe, gasp, laugh, and cry together and walk out of the theatre having shared something special which cannot be replicated.

I miss entrance applause as a Broadway legend steps onstage. I miss musical numbers that move me to leap out of my seat applauding mid-show. I miss laughing so hard my sides hurt. I miss crying so hard that I shouldn't have bothered putting makeup on that night.  I miss having a cheesy smile plastered on my face for so long that my face hurts the next day. I miss surprise shows that I didn't expect to enjoy as much as I did but can't stop talking about them for months afterwards. I miss shows that take my breath away. I miss shows that are cathartic. I miss curtain calls. I miss sprinting through the crowd to get to the stage door. I miss meeting the actors who were kind enough to stop for autographs and selfies that night and thanking them for their time and talent. I miss stopping at Junior's on the walk back to the hotel for some carry-out cheesecake on which to snack during a late-night debriefing session, because how on earth can you go right to bed when you just attended a Broadway show?

I know eventually Broadway will be back and when those marquee lights sparkle again, Broadway will be better and stronger than ever. I would love to be in attendance at a show on Broadway's re-opening date because the celebration will be boisterous and the cheers will be deafening. Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is there is still a long road ahead until it is safe for theatres to re-open. Until the joyous day when I set foot back in NYC, "oh I can't wait to see you again. It's only a matter of time."

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