Broadway to require vaccinations, masks for audience members

NEW YORK — Broadway theatergoers will need to prove they’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19 and masks will be required when theaters reopen in the coming weeks, producers announced Friday.

Audience members will have to wear face coverings and show proof they are fully vaccinated by a FDA or WHO authorized vaccine when they enter the theaters, the Broadway League said in a news release.

“Get vaccinated, and we’ll see you in the fall,” tweeted Broadway and TV star Jeremy Jordan. Composer Jason Robert Brown also agreed with the move: “That’s right. That’s where we’re at.”

There will be exceptions to the vaccine rule for children under 12, who are not yet eligible for any of the approved shots, and for people with a medical condition or religious belief that prevents vaccination, the theater operators said. Those individuals will need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test. Masks are required for the audience except while eating or drinking in designated locations.

“This is what we have as a community on Broadway decided and then we’re going to reevaluate it in October. It’s still fluid,” Bonnie Comley, president of The Drama League, told The Associated Press. “This should be a positive thing. All these different unions that don’t always agree have come together to be able to do this before people come into the theater.”