NEW YORK (AP) – Closed windows and rental signs are everywhere in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, where restaurants are closed and businesses closed. Nearby, the Broadway theaters are dark.
But the economic gloom brought on by the coronavirus pandemic has had some bright spots: Some highly regarded sites have received financial raises to help them survive, thanks to online fundraising campaigns and even a telethon.
Married couple Tom and Michael D’Angora, who live in Hell’s Kitchen, first launched a GoFundMe campaign on behalf of the West Bank Cafe / Laurie Beechman Theater.
It raised more than $ 340,000 after a telethon broadcast that included performances by many Broadway actors and singers who frequent the West Bank Cafe.
“I spent some of my most important, carefree and charming moments here,” said famous veteran actor Andre De Shields, who played “Hadestown” before the virus hit, during the telethon, before releasing. owner Steve Olsen a check. “We don’t want this beautiful piece of heaven on earth to ever disappear.
“We were weeks away from really running out of money and going broke,” Olsen said before the campaign.
But now he’s optimistic that the place he opened in 1978 can stay open until restaurants and entertainment return to town.
Since then, the D’Angoras have launched another campaign for the Birdland Jazz Club, raising more than $ 180,000. The owner, Gianni Valenti, predicted that it could remain open until the pandemic ends.
It is “very comforting to see the response we got,” Valenti said.
“I read the list of friends and I love that they care about Birdland, the music and what it means for New York that we all continue and hope we get back to normal. said.
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