Dr. Anthony Fauci Believes Broadway Theatres Can Still Reopen This Fall

How arts organizations can reopen their venues in 2021 was the topic of a webinar today presented by the National Endowment for the Arts with special guest Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health.

"I commend the NEA for its thoughtful approach to imagining how to reopen arts spaces safely as we emerge from the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic," said Fauci.

What did he have to say about the reopening of Broadway and theatres across the country? "We are all tired by the constraints enclosed on us by this pandemic, and I often get asked, 'When can I go back to a Broadway show, see a movie at a theatre or visit a museum?'" he added.

"If enough people get vaccinated and if we are careful in reopening and resuming activities, based on current projections, I believe we likely could see a return to more fully reopened movie and Broadway theatres sometime in the fall. This is no guarantee. And at least initially, we may still need to wear masks. "

Dr. Fauci was appointed director of NIAID in 1984. He oversees an extensive research portfolio of basic and applied research to prevent, diagnose, and treat established infectious diseases. He has been a visible and highly esteemed leader in the fight against COVID-19 and currently serves on the White House COVID-19 Response Team.

The event was based in part on the NEA's report The Art of Reopening: A Guide to Current Practices Among Arts Organizations During COVID-19 that was published in January 2021. The report examines reopening practices of organizations that resumed in-person programming in 2020 and presents promising tactics and nine case studies. Three of the organizations featured as case studies will be represented on a panel moderated by Sunil Iyengar, director of the Arts Endowment's Office of Research & Analysis.

Other panelists included Scott Altman (president & CEO, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati, Ohio), Chloe Cook (executive director, Sidewalk Film Center & Cinema, Birmingham, Alabama), Rebecca Read Medrano (co-founder and executive director, GALA Hispanic Theatre, Washington, DC).

For more COVID-19 resources, visit the Arts Endowment's collection on the website and follow the agency on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.