NEW YORK, Aug 5 (Reuters) – The first Broadway play since the coronavirus pandemic closed New York theaters in 2020 opened on Wednesday, with mandatory vaccines and masks for the public.
“Pass Over,” a modern twist on “Waiting for Godot,” sold out its first preview at the August Wilson Theater in Manhattan.
The play, by Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu, tells the story of two young black men who stand for hours in a corner praying for a miracle to take place.
According to the rules announced by Broadway theaters last week, the public, actors, stage actors and theater staff must be fully vaccinated and must wear masks for the shows, which can be performed with 100% of their capacity .
“The atmosphere is incredible, it is electric,” said director Danya Taymor. “We had a dress rehearsal last night, so we were able to have like 500 people here. And the palpable joy and gratitude from the audience made me cry.”
Most Broadway shows, including great musicals like “Hamilton,” “The Lion King,” and “Wicked,” are slated to reopen in September after being closed since March 2020, when the pandemic first hit New York.
Rocker Bruce Springsteen’s one-man show “Springsteen on Broadway” kicked off a comeback in June with a limited performance.
Taymor said the cast and crew of “Pass Over” have rigorously followed security protocols.
“We all wear masks. The public, the same. So even in terms of COVID it feels safe and solid,” he said. (Reporting by Alicia Powell; edited in Spanish by Benjamín Mejías Valencia)
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