It was a Broadway smash with big plans until 25 company members took ill and a shutdown put everybody out of work. Inside a tumultuous year, in the words of those who lived it.
March 12, 2020 was a date the Broadway community will likely never forget; it was the day everything shut down and it has remained closed ever since. It was perhaps the most severe and devastating event to ever happen to the music industry.
Virtually every working musician in New York City was unemployed overnight without any firm return date in sight. Musicians who have ever since been on unemployment, have had to look for side hustles, teaching, take other jobs; some have had to move or relocate and wait for the lights to come back on.
The NY Times has a touching article on one of our shows, Moulin Rouge. It features many of our wonderful musicians; Sean Driscoll (guitar), Katie Kresek (violin), Matt Hong (woodwinds), Bobby Wooten (bass) and Rachel Golub (viola).
2021 brings with it vaccines, a new administration and a sense of hope that while damaged, the Broadway community will return this year and will continue to thrive likely far beyond ever before.