Looking forward to seeing your favorite Broadway show this year? Well think again… it looks like Broadway won’t be coming back until June 2021.

The Broadway League, the trade group that represents theatre owners and producers, announced that Broadway performances will be cancelled through May 30,2021 due to the coronavirus outbreak. Fortunately, theatres are offering exchanges and refunds for tickets purchased prior to the pandemic.

According to MarketWatch, a website that tracks the pulse of markets for engaged investors and business news, there are three big challenging factors that could prevent its chances in reopening.

The first opposition is that 16% of Broadway theatregoers are over the age of 65. Removing the tourist theatregoers, the percentage rate rises. As we aware, COVID is a clinical threat for older adults and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions.

Secondly, nearly one in five Broadway audience members are visiting from abroad, which puts even more audience members at risk.

Lastly, majority of the theatres are over 100 years old and since the original floor plan consists of narrow aisles, close seating, and tiny bathrooms the seating and audience sizes would need to be reduced.

“We have pivoted to digital, and pivoted and pivoted and pivoted, but until we can safely get audiences into our spaces, we can’t do what it is that we actually do,” said Sade Lythcott, National Black Theatre’s chief executive.

Putting aside the three challenging factors, it is said that theatregoers can expect to see discounts when shows return, but tickets may become limited if the industry decides to make these new changes.

All things being considered, we’re hoping that the phrase “The Show Must Go On” comes into play as soon as America reaches back to normal.