Broadway shows will remain shut down until May 2021

Theater lovers looking forward to the return of Broadway shows will have to keep waiting. The Broadway League announced Friday that the suspension on performances, which was put in place at the start of the pandemic in March, has now been extended through May 30, 2021.

Theatergoers with tickets for shows between now and the end of May should reach out to their point of purchase for exchanges and refunds, the Broadway League said. 

Broadway theaters lowered their curtains for the last time at 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 12, after an usher who worked at two Broadway shows, "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?" and "Six," tested positive for the coronavirus. At that time, 31 productions were running, including eight new shows in previews and eight in rehearsals. 

The shutdown was originally intended to last for a month, but was later extended until September and then extended again as the global pandemic continues. 

"With nearly 97,000 workers who rely on Broadway for their livelihood and an annual economic impact of $14.8 billion to the city, our membership is committed to re-opening as soon as conditions permit us to do so," Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, said in a press release. "We are working tirelessly with multiple partners on sustaining the industry once we raise our curtains again." 

Dates for each returning show and new shows will be announced by the individual productions, the league said.