Broadway theaters forced to go dark on coronavirus fears

A man in a face mask walks past a row of posters advertising Broadway shows in Manhattan's Theatre District after Broadway productions announced they will cancel performances due to the coronavirus outbreak, in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Broadway theaters, among New York's biggest tourist attractions, were shut down for a month on Thursday in a bid to limit the spread of the coronavirus in the city.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a ban on all gatherings of more than 500 people, including theaters, starting on Thursday evening. Most Broadway theaters have around 1,000 seats.

Signage regarding the coronavirus is seen on the stage door to the show Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers theater as Broadway shows announced they will cancel performances due to the coronavirus outbreak in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

The Broadway League said in a statement that shows would be suspended until April 13. They include crowd-pleasers like "Hamilton," "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child," and "To Kill a Mockingbird."

The decision was part of a range of extraordinary measures in the nation's biggest city. Some 328 people in New York are confirmed to have the disease, Cuomo said.

The spreading virus has already led to cancellation or postponement of dozens of U.S. entertainment industry events, including the Coachella and South by Southwest festivals, CinemaCon, the E3 videogames convention and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Signage regarding the coronavirus is seen on a doorway to the show Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers theater as Broadway shows announced they will cancel performances due to the coronavirus outbreak in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Broadway was spooked on Wednesday when an usher who had worked at two New York theaters tested positive for coronavirus. Owners of the two venues said they had ordered deep cleanings and their shows went ahead on Wednesday.

Television talk shows "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," and "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" said they would tape their broadcasts in New York venues without audiences going forward.

Several Broadway plays and musicals had previously put a halt to cast members greeting fans and signing programs at stage doors.

The closed Shubert Theater where the play "To Kill A Mockingbird" plays after it was announced that Broadway shows will cancel performances due to the coronavirus outbreak in New York, U.S., March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Some 14.8 million tickets were sold for Broadway shows in the 2018-2019 season that ended in May, bringing $1.8 billion in box office receipts, according to the Broadway League. Some 63% of those going to shows were tourists, from outside the United States or outside New York.

"Our top priority has been and will continue to be the health and well-being of Broadway theatregoers and the thousands of people who work in the theater industry every day, including actors, musicians, stagehands, ushers, and many other dedicated professionals," Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, said in a statement on Friday.

A nearly empty 7th Avenue in Times Square is seen at rush hour after it was announced that Broadway shows will cancel performances due to the coronavirus outbreak in New York, U.S., March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

(Additional reporting by Alicia Powell and Jonathan Allen; editing by Diane Craft and Rosalba O'Brien)

Signage regarding the coronavirus is seen on the stage door of the Booth Theatre as Broadway shows announced they will cancel performances due to the coronavirus outbreak in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

A worker looks out from the closed St James theater where the musical "Frozen" plays after it was announced that Broadway shows will cancel performances due to the coronavirus outbreak in New York, U.S., March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

Theatres are seen along West 45th Street as Broadway shows announced they will cancel performances due to the coronavirus outbreak in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

People in surgical masks walk through Manhattan's Broadway Theatre district after Broadway shows announced they will cancel performances due to the coronavirus outbreak in Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S., March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

A man walks past Broadway show posters on Shubert Alley in Times Square after it was announced that Broadway shows will cancel performances due to the coronavirus outbreak in New York, U.S., March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

A woman rides a bicycle past the closed Imperial Theatre in Times Square after it was announced that Broadway shows will cancel performances due to the coronavirus outbreak in New York, U.S., March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar

A worker removes stanchions used for arriving audience members at the Richard Rodgers theater where the musical "Hamilton" plays after it was announced that Broadway shows will cancel performances due to the coronavirus outbreak in New York, U.S., March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Segar