New York (AFP)

"We Will Be Back!"

- "We will come back!": A dozen singers proclaimed Friday, in the middle of Times Square, their promise that Broadway would soon reopen.

A scent of optimism hung in the air, despite the closed doors of the surrounding theaters.

Second wave of pandemic under control, massive vaccinations, first authorizations for partial reopening of venues, New York "begins to come to life. But once Broadway reopens, we will be 100%", estimates Ryann Redmond, who played in the comedy musical "Frozen", before the close of Broadway, March 12, 2020.

For Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, the professional association of producers and exhibitors, the authorization given by the governor of New York to reopen theaters with a capacity limited to 100 people from April 2 is nevertheless above all symbolic.

The Armory or The Shed, two gigantic places that allow social distancing, are already announcing shows in just a few days, but Broadway, with its compact theaters and very heavy production costs, will not be.

"We are still aiming for the fall," she said, adding that local authorities have still not said anything about the date or the conditions for the reopening.

All cling to the statements of Dr. Anthony Fauci, adviser to the White House, who spoke, in January, the reopening of Broadway "at the beginning or in the middle of the autumn".

Broadway's economic equation means theaters must be able to be filled to at least 75% capacity for reopening to make financial sense, according to Charlotte St. Martin.

"There has to be a plan" from the authorities, urged Clayton Craddock, drummer who was part of the musical "Ain't Too Proud", before the pandemic.

- Zoom musicals -

Despite 12 months without revenue, and probably at least six more to be expected, only a handful of productions have definitely thrown in the towel, three musicals and two plays.

Leaving 31 shows positioned for a cover in the fall with, in addition, some new releases, such as "Music Man" or "MJ The Musical".

Their musicians, actors and technicians were put on technical unemployment, most of them without health coverage.

Even if the latter could be restored quickly thanks to the new plan to support the economy adopted this week in Congress, according to Charlotte St. Martin.

Some did not hold and gave up the boards for good.

Clayton Craddock resumed computer studies and almost became an insurance agent.

But "I realized that my talent was not there," he says.

"I've been playing for 45 years, perfecting myself" on the drums.

"I'm not going to give up on this. It's what I do best."

A year of obscurity will not have come to the end of the passion which inhabits many professionals of Broadway.

As soon as the first notes of "On Broadway", George Benson's version resounded in Times Square on Friday, powerful tones rose, sometimes tinged with a few vibratos.

“It was awesome,” responded Peppermint, the first transgender actress to star in a musical in 2018, in “Head Over Heels”.

"I can sing in my shower as much as I want, but when you see people react, how touched they are, and you react back, it's an exchange of emotions."

Although for the past year Ryann Redmond has relied only on television and cinema to work, she has lost none of her voice, which brought the character of Olaf, the snowman, to life in "The snow Queen".

“We did a lot of Zoom musicals, and a lot of recordings at home,” she explains.

"I tried to stay active because it's a muscle, like an athlete."

"The Snow Queen" was canceled by Disney last May, but she hopes to find "something else" in the fall.

Even though the forty or so actors and dancers in Times Square on Friday seemed ready to return to the stage overnight, Charlotte St. Martin recalls that "most" Broadway productions say they need "three to four months" to complete. be operational.

"So ideally, we will be told in early June if we can open in September."

© 2021 AFP