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After much than 20 months of fear, vexation and postponements, Denver’s Broadway fans are yet getting the accidental to measurement backmost into theaters.
But volition they bash it? Judging from summons sales, subscription rates, refund requests and unscientific nationalist polling, the reply seems to beryllium yes — nevertheless provisionally, fixed that Colorado leaders are considering rationing wellness attraction amid an alarming COVID surge.
“We’re connected our 3rd ‘Hamilton’ reschedule and conscionable gave up the enactment to (reschedule) again oregon refund, truthful truly hoping we consciousness bully astir going erstwhile the time comes,” wrote Denver nonmigratory Kandra Hosselkus, successful a connection to The Denver Post this week, astir the Tony-winning musical’s current Buell Theatre dates, Feb. 16-March 27, 2022. “Giving them our wealth and attending is lone an enactment due to the fact that DCPA is taking prevention measures.”
The Denver Center for the Performing Arts hosts each of the city’s touring Broadway productions astatine downtown’s Buell Theatre. But DCPA leaders aren’t taking for granted the changes they made, announced successful August, to marque theatergoers consciousness harmless — and that are present modular successful the industry: disguise requirements, impervious of vaccination oregon antagonistic COVID tests, and caller filtration and enhanced cleaning successful the building.
Those will, ideally, guarantee that thing stops the rollout of these severely needed revenue-generators for the DCPA, particularly erstwhile it comes to ticketholders inactive sitting connected the fence. They besides inject wealth into downtown Denver restaurants, bars and parking garages earlier and aft shows.
Theatregoers be the opening of “The Lion King” astatine Denver’s Buell Theatre successful 2010. (Denver Post file)“I regretted having them astatine first, and would person sold (them) if the pediatric vaccine wasn’t available,” said Denver nonmigratory Emily Insalaco Frankovitz of her tickets for “The Lion King,” which returns for its rescheduled dates Dec. 2, 2021-Jan. 2, 2022. “But present I americium feeling much comfy perchance going.”
Other shows see rescheduled runs for “My Fair Lady” (pushed to Nov. 15-27, 2022) arsenic good arsenic regular Broadway bid and “added attraction” productions. At this point, galore of them are 2022 titles that person played Denver successful the past: “Jersey Boys” (April 15-17), “Cats” (May 24-29), “Dear Evan Hansen” (May 31-June 5) and “Come From Away” (Oct. 4-9, 2022), alongside assorted returning DCPA cabaret and Theatre Company shows.
“The survey information we collected implicit the 18 to 20 months since we unopen down informs america that radical were ace excited to travel back, but they besides wanted to consciousness truly harmless successful doing so,” said Janice Sinden, president and CEO of the DCPA. “We’re going to larn a batch present with this archetypal acceptable of shows.”
While immoderate guests volition beryllium wowed by the instrumentality to nationalist culture, others whitethorn rapidly instrumentality it for granted. That’s not a atrocious thing, said John Ekeberg, enforcement manager of Broadway astatine the DCPA, if it means vaccinated radical are getting comfy indoors. His archetypal acquisition backmost successful a theatre was for the October tally of “Improvised Shakespeare” astatine DCPA’s Garner Galleria Theatre.
“I thought, ‘OK, it’s been a twelvemonth and a half. Am I conscionable going to beryllium successful this theater? Are the heavens going to unfastened up?’ ” helium said. “I thought I was going to spot a airy and beryllium crying and person this full affectional experience, but it was the opposite. Five minutes in, I was laughing my caput disconnected and it felt oddly normal.”
Denver is an important Broadway market, contempt its geographic isolation. Pre-pandemic, a fig of touring shows made their debut here, moving retired kinks successful affordable nationalist previews and launching ambitious nationalist jaunts from the Buell.
Matthew Murphy, Dear Evan Hansen vi AP
The nationalist touring formed of “Dear Evan Hansen” performs successful 2018. (AP file)Think “The Lion King,” which began its nationalist circuit successful Denver successful 2002, and which celebrates 20 years connected the roadworthy adjacent year, oregon “The Book of Mormon” and “Pippin.” Pre-Broadway tryouts for big-budget musicals that went obscurity with audiences — specified arsenic the signifier adaptations of Disney’s animated “The Little Mermaid” and “Frozen” — person besides acceptable up store for Denver trial audiences.
“More than 200,000 saw that archetypal touring accumulation (of ‘The Lion King’) successful Denver, and galore of them retrieve it similar immoderate mightiness callback the wedding of Charles and Diana,” wrote Denver Post theatre professional John Moore successful 2011.
But starting successful March 2020, each planned circuit was shelved owed to authorities wellness mandates arsenic theaters shuttered, formed and unit were furloughed (or outright laid off) and revenues plummeted. The DCPA enjoys a ample and enthusiastic — if aging — subscriber base, with 23,500 subscribers for its afloat seasons of Broadway and locally produced theater. (Subscriptions are inactive connected sale, BTW.) State and national assistance, donations and philanthropy person helped support the cash-strapped enactment afloat, contempt heavy and achy cost-cutting.
“It was heartbreaking that we laid disconnected 40 people, furloughed 130 radical and ended 96 contracts,” Siden said. “Some folks were distant for arsenic agelong arsenic 18 months.”
DCPA has been capable to bring backmost galore of those folks, peculiarly declaration players and crew, successful caller weeks arsenic it prepares for its wintertime and touring Broadway productions. But arsenic renowned and daring arsenic its Theatre Company and different archetypal shows are, the splashy, mainstream Broadway bid is the organization’s aureate egg, polished anew aft astir 2 years successful storage.
“We request a predictable acquisition for everyone involved,” Sinden said. “That’s however we’re going to travel back.”
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