Broadway is going dark to keep actors, producers, theatre staff, and fans safe amid the ongoing coronavirus chaos.
All shows and plays will shut down from Thursday night (12Mar20) until 12 April, according to officials at the Broadway League, a trade organisation representing producers and venue owners.
New York's theatre bosses, owners, and union representatives met to discuss a possible month-long shutdown of all shows and plays on Thursday morning.
Actors Equity union chiefs have been demanding the shut down for days, revealing members are concerned about contracting the virus.
"Equity is driving this," one producer told the New York Post. "If actors don't feel safe, they don't have to perform."
The news emerged hours after the producers of hit Broadway musical Moulin Rouge! cancelled Thursday's performances amid unconfirmed reports a cast member had been exposed to the coronavirus.
Theatre bosses did not confirm why the matinee and evening performances were scrapped, but they initially insisted the show would go on at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre on Friday, as scheduled.
That plan has since been scrapped as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a ban on gatherings of more than 500 people. He also slapped restrictions on smaller events in an effort to fight the spread of COVID-19.
All non-Broadway venues will have to abide by the order on Friday evening onwards.
