Hurricane Sandy Blows Away Sunday Evening, Monday Broadway Performances
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Most of New York City (as well as the rest of the Eastern Seaboard) is shut down today as Hurricane Sandy makes landfall, and Broadway is no exception.
All shows today, Monday, October 29, are cancelled, as were all shows yesterday, according to the New York Times. A special “Weather Alert” was posted on the official website for The Broadway League.
“As a result of the suspension of public transportation by government authorities in preparation for the incoming storm, all Broadway performances in NYC on Sunday evening, October 28th and Monday evening, October 29 are canceled,” read the alert.
No announcements have yet been made concerning Tuesday shows, though the site does advise users to “return here throughout the week for the latest updates.”
“The safety and security of theatergoers and employees is everyone’s primary concern,” said Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of The Broadway League, according to the Associated Press.
Evening and matinee performances were cancelled in August 2011 under the threat of Hurricane Irene on a Saturday and Sunday, which resulted in every Broadway show losing money. That storm did not bring the destruction that was expected.
Elsewhere in New York, two concerts are canceled at Carnegie Hall: last night’s show “Celebrating the Tokyo String Quartet,” and tonight’s planned recital by Jadranka Jovanovic. Tonight’s performance of “Le Nozze di Figaro” at the Metropolitan Opera also is cancelled.
As of this writing on Monday morning, Hurricane Sandy is just over 200 miles away from New York, and low-lying areas in the city have already been evacuated. Officials across the Eastern Seaboard are warning of the dangers the storm presents.
“This is the most catastrophic event that we have faced and been able to plan for in any of our lifetimes,” said Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy. Chris Christie, governor of New Jersey, put it in more blunt terms:
“Don’t be stupid. Get out!”
Photo Credit: kakela | Flickr