Doing Broadway Safely
One of the most exhilarating and memorable student travel activities out there is seeing a Broadway show. Though the pandemic hasn’t made taking students to see a show among the bright lights easier, there’s still ample room to safely experience the magic of Broadway. Teach & Travel caught up with the Broadway pros to learn the latest and what educators and student groups can do to have a safe and successful experience.
One sentiment shared across the Broadway community? They’re excited and ready to welcome audiences.
“Broadway is open and Broadway is safe,” said Bob Hofmann, Vice President of Broadway Inbound. “The Broadway community has worked diligently to follow the science and create the policies and procedures necessary to assure audiences feel safe when attending the theatre. The results have been exceptional; Broadway has safely welcomed nearly 3 million audience members since reopening in September.”
Safely visiting Broadway begins with thorough preparation.
“The most important thing you can do to ensure everything goes smoothly is to get vaccinated, get boosted, acquire appropriate masks, prepare your proof of vaccination for presentation upon arrival and educate yourself on the NYC and Broadway protocols,” Hofmann said. “Broadway is doing it right.”
Nicholas Faranda, Senior Manager of Global Sales, Disney Theatrical Group, says nobody knows their group as well as you, the educator. He recommends continually visiting a show’s “Health and Safety” page prior to visiting to stay up-to-date.
“The safety of our cast, crew, musicians and audience is our top priority,” Faranda said. “All guests attending a Broadway show currently have to follow vaccination and mask requirements in order to attend. These policies are for guests age five and up, and will continue to evolve as the pandemic continues.”
Once on your trip, student groups could anticipate additional slight changes, like staggered arrival times, which help eliminate long lines.
“Attending Broadway today isn’t significantly different from attending before the pandemic,” Hofmann explained. “In fact, you will probably experience a heightened energy throughout the theater that enriches the overall Broadway experience.”
Because we all know plans can change, many are now offering ticket policies with increased flexibility, making it easy to work out payment schedules and exchanges in order for educators to have a worry-free planning experience.
“The entire Broadway community is excited to welcome groups back and our goal is to make that as easy as possible,” Faranda emphasized.
Still feeling hesitant about returning to the theatre? No need.
“We have the gold standard of protocols for live theatre including vaccination requirements for audience, casts and crew; mask requirements for all audience members, regular testing for cast, crew and staff; enhanced air filtration, touchless entry and more,” Hofmann said. “It’s truly an exciting time to be in New York City and attend a Broadway show. The doors are open—come see us and enjoy the show!”
FOR THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
BroadwayInbound.com | 866.302.0995
Broadway.org/info/covid-19-updates
DisneyTheatricalSales.com
Groups.Broadway.com
This story originally appeared in Teach & Travel’s March 2022 issue.
