As Coronavirus fears begin impacting Broadway attendance, producer Scott Rudin is slashing ticket prices to keep theatres full, Deadline reports. Starting this Thursday at noon, all remaining March tickets for Rudin’s popular productions—To Kill a Mockingbird, West Side Story, The Lehman Trilogy, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and The Book of Mormon—will be available for only $50.
“As long as New York City is open for business, its beating heart remains the Broadway stage. This is an unprecedented opportunity for everyone to see a show that they otherwise might not have had easy and affordable access to,” Rudin said in a statement. “I can’t pretend that great theater is the panacea we’ve been waiting for, but in the meantime, I think we could all use a few hours away from the evening news.”
Rudin’s shows have held very stable attendance numbers so far (West Side Story and the preview of The Lehman Trilogy sold out last week) but that might quickly change in the days and weeks to come.
As the Wall Street Journal reported, box office dips have mostly impacted Disney musicals like The Lion King, Aladdin, and Frozen which rely more heavily on tourist traffic. In response, Disney Theatrical Group announced it would begin waiving its $15 exchange fee through the end of the month and refunding tickets through April 19.
The $50 tickets will be available for performances taking place between March 12 and 29 at Telecharge.com and Ticketmaster.com.
[Via Deadline]