Back in March 2020, Broadway announced that all performances would be halted from the time being. Broadway League had originally hoped to resume shows on January 3rd of 2021 but recently released a statement informing audiences that the hiatus has been pushed back until the end of May 2021.
This closure extension will mean the infamous lights of Broadway will be shut off for more than a year. As Broadway League’s statement mentions, the closure has impacted nearly 97,000 workers and has had a major economic impact the New York City.
Before the shutdown, Disney had three shows running including Frozen, The Lion King, and Aladdin. In May, Disney Theatrical Groups made the difficult decision to not reopen Frozen. The show had recently welcomed a new cast and had at 851 show run at the St. James Theatre. Frozen already had embarked on a U.S. National Tour and was getting ready for tours in Australia, London, Tokyo, and Germany. These tours were postponed and Disney Thearitical Group has not yet determined if or when they will resume.
Credit: Walter McBride/WireImage Credit: Broadway Direct
As of now, The Lion King and Aladdin still plan on returning once Broadway shows can resume. The Lion King premiered at the New Amsterdam Theater in 1997 and has since become the highest-grossing Broadway production of all time. As for Aladdin, rumors have been circulating that the West End production will soon be available to stream on Disney+.
In the meantime, you can get your Disney on Broadway fix by streaming Newsies or Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton on Disney+ free with a subscription.
If you’d like to help theater workers during this time please visit the Actors Fund for more information.