In the theater world, it’s dire, folks. Every day, theaters, musicians, entertainers and dancers are scrambling to keep going, to stay afloat. More than 12,000,000 people work in the entertainment production business in the United States and produce revenue in the billions.
Yet as the theater managers point out, there’s no federal safety net and theaters everywhere are closing; companies are declaring bankruptcies. (I’ll just mention Mercury Theater Chicago and the beloved Cirque du Soleil here to start.)
David Michaels, public health expert and former official at OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) during the Obama administration, currently serves as the Equity consultant. He stipulated four conditions that must be met before theaters can consider resuming production:
1. The epidemic must be under control with effective testing, few new cases in the area, and contact tracing.
2. Individuals who may be infectious can be readily identifiable and isolated with frequency; regular and accurate testing with speedy results.
3. Auditions, rehearsals, performances and stage management may need to change and venues may need to undergo change to minimize any kind of exposure.
4. Efforts to control COVID-19 exposure must be collaborative.
As theater critic Chris Jones stated, “2020 is Annus Horribilis – the worst year ever in live entertainment.”
I am weary of the constantly changing season announcements, the postponements and the cancellations. I get it, I understand why we are all ever hopeful, but Jones put it succinctly, “Can we all accept that 2020 ain’t happening and look to the year that follows?”
Broadway is officially closed through 2020, with hopes to reopen Jan. 3, 2021. And their season had some big names lined up: Hugh Jackman in the revival of "The Music Man," Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick in "Plaza Suite," Debra Messing in "Birthday Candles" and the premiere of the long-awaited musical "Diana." But they’re coming back in 2021.
Chicago’s Goodman Theatre announced eight plays for its 2021 season; in business since 1925, the postponement and losses were significant. But "School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play"; "American Mariachi"; "Good Night, Oscar" with Sean Hayes; "The Outsiders" (yes, based on the novel and Coppola film); "The Ripple, the Wave That Carried Me Home"; "The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci"; "Fannie" and "A Paris Love Story" are all scheduled to come roaring in next year. However, there’s no definitive word on the fate of the traditional "A Christmas Carol" as of this writing.
The other Tony Award-winning theater in Chicago, Steppenwolf, will start its 2021 season with "Good Night, and Good Luck"; "I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter"; "Last Night and the Night Before"; the Tony-nominated "Choir Boy" and a Chekhov adaptation, "Seagull."
Chicago Shakespeare has been performing this summer in Chicago’s parks outdoors, as well as online, and promises a new season schedule announcement soon. In the interim, the premiere of "Blue" in collaboration with the Lyric Opera is set to open in January.
A little closer to home, Paramount Theatre’s 2020 season in Aurora will spill into 2022 with the musicals "Rock of Ages," "Cinderella," "Groundhog Day" and "Ragtime"; while Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire will start the season in March, with the musical "Kiss Me, Kate," followed by "And the World Goes 'Round" in May, "West Side Story" in August, "The Sound of Music" in October, and a hopefully rescheduled "Wizard of Oz."
Crystal Lake’s Raue Center for the Arts has brilliantly taped live comedian performances in its Lucy’s at home program, shown online most Friday nights, as well as presenting live ticketed performances in the socially distanced theater (most recently comedian Mike Toomey; and jazz singer Sierra White in "Quarantini" – both shows meeting with much success).
So, it’s a scenario of delayed gratification for now. We just have to engage in hopeful waiting. Will live theater ever go back to being the same? Will we be allowed to be an audience numbering beyond 15 or beyond 50? Standing room only? No one knows and no one certainly wanted this drama. A whole new act is being written as we go.
• Since the first grade, Regina Belt-Daniels has been involved with and in the theater. She has appeared in stage plays, web series, radio plays and the Mike Preston film “Citizen Dick”; she has directed over 50 plays for companies throughout Illinois. She anxiously awaits the return to things she loves best: acting, directing, teaching, traveling with her husband, and attending live theater.
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August 31, 2020 at 09:04AM
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Reviews: Looking at what theater seasons hold in store - Northwest Herald
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