Entertainment venues are considering schedule changes due to coronavirus

Tours, awards, conventions and festivals announce daily cancellations and postponements due to the new coronavirus epidemic, which has a major impact on entertainment events in the United States and elsewhere.

The Governor of New York has ordered everyone Broadway theaters to close their doors to the lingering concerns of coronaviruses, plunging into darkness one of the city's most popular tourist attractions and causing turmoil as the Tony Awards draw near.

Governor Andrew Cuomo on Thursday banned rallies of 500 or more people in the city, effectively forcing the hand of Broadway the producers who had already said that Broadway would be "open to business" unless the government advises otherwise. The shows will resume on April 13, just 10 days before the official Tony Awards eligibility deadline.

The move comes a day after BroadwayThe two largest theater chains revealed that a part-time usher and a security guard who had worked in two theaters for the past few days had tested positive for covid-19 and were in quarantine.

In Pittsburgh, Stage AE released a statement explaining that many upcoming shows could be postponed.

"Due to the recent recommendation from major rallies in the state of Pennsylvania, we are currently working to postpone many upcoming shows," the statement said. "We will share the updates as they are confirmed on the event Facebook page for each show and encourage fans to respond to them to learn more about the postponements and new dates . "

The entertainment industry, a business that aims to draw crowds to theaters, cinemas and concert halls, is preparing for a possible shutdown in the coming weeks due to the potentially paused coronavirus pandemic the normal buzz of TV productions, the hustle and bustle of the red carpet film premieres and audience applause.

Thursday, the upcoming releases of "A Quiet Place 2" and the latest film "Fast & Furious", "F9", joined the many reports.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially the elderly and people with existing health problems, this can cause more serious illnesses, including pneumonia. So far, there have been at least 38 deaths in the United States. Hot spots like Italy show how infection and death rates are increasing exponentially, forcing the government to order extreme closings.

The vast majority of people are recovering from the new virus. According to the World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more serious illness can take three to six weeks to recover.

As postponements and cancellations are announced, it remains to be seen how long the coronavirus will affect the West Pennsylvania entertainment scene and what its recovery will look like.

Representatives of some sites and organizations in the region are adopting a wait-and-see attitude, while others are proactive when it comes to postponements. The plans and announcements of other sites in the region will be updated as they are received.

Here are some current coronavirus policies and practices:

• Lamp theater, Irwin: "We are awaiting news from the state about mandatory closings," said Bill Elder, director of production and operations. "We will follow all state regulations and directives, but we don't want to jump the gun until they are in place."

In the meantime, the theater has accelerated cleaning protocols and will cease meeting with the star artists.

If the venue has to suspend operations at some point, Elder says, "We are considering postponements, not cancellations." Customers will be kept informed via the website, Facebook page and email distribution.

Details: 724-367-4000 or lamptheatre.org

• Oaks Theater, Oakmont: "Until there is a mandate from the (Centers for Disease Control) or another competent agency, or a confirmed case nearby, we will continue our planned programming", explains the manager of events, JR Shaw.

"We follow the best practices currently recommended," he says. "We are more vigilant than usual about hand washing and sanitation, and we ask staff members to stay home if they are sick."

The theater will reimburse tickets purchased for upcoming events for people with compromised immune systems, he said.

"All of our shows for the next few months are local numbers," says Shaw. "We have been in contact with them and none of them wish to cancel. Our first preference would be to postpone if necessary. In this case, we will transfer the tickets or reimburse anyone who requests it."

Details: 412-828-6322 or theoakstheater.com

Shirley McMarlin is an editor for Tribune-Review. You can contact Shirley at 724-836-5750, [email protected] or via Twitter @shirley_trib. Mary Pickels is an editor for Tribune-Review. You can contact Mary at 724-836-5401 or [email protected] or via Twitter @MaryPickels.

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