W42ST Daily 5/07/2020

When will Broadway be back? It’s an issue many of us are pondering. But the theater has been here before. Back in July 1606 – when Shakespeare’s King Lear and Macbeth were in their first season at the London Globe – the playhouse doors were locked. The plague had returned. Two years earlier, more than 30,000 Londoners had died from another outbreak, and the government decreed that public playing should cease, once weekly deaths rose “above the number of 30.”

I read a Canadian’s perspective by Steven D’Souza from CBC. It’s a good article that covers the challenges of social distancing – for the cast as well as the audience. It also updates us on Slave Play actor Paul Nolan, who is waiting out the pandemic back home in Saskatchewan, working on the family farm.

In Pittsfield, Mass., the Barrington Stage Company is pushing forward. They cancelled their plans for a musical with a large cast, and decided against any production that included kissing or swordplay.  They’ve stripped out 70% of their seats, moved the box office outside, and will work on a one-actor show.

Broadway is the engine room of the Hell’s Kitchen economy. The stage hands, ushers, and actors live, eat, and sleep here. The theatergoers make up a huge percentage of our restaurants’ tables.  So what are your thoughts on a date for the first show to open?

NEW YORK STORIES #TBT
Hell’s Kitchen’s piers have always featured in history, the docking of the USNS Comfort being the most recent ship to be in world news. Here’s the story of the S.S. Normandie, which was welcomed in 1935 as the world’s fastest liner – and within 10 years had sunk in the Hudson. Read more at W42ST.com.

TECH HELP
We’re working hard to keep our Hell’s Kitchen is OPEN! list up to date. A recent closure is Ollie’s, but we’re glad to report that Gossip will be open from today, 12-8pm, for pick up.

Readers asked if we had a map… and you know we like to please, so here’s a map of all the places that are open for food.

We’re having difficulty embedding it on our site. Anyone out there a HTML whizz? Please email me, I need help!

WHAT WE’VE BEEN READING
Feeling stressed? This simple technique may help. And relax…

Here’s the MTA’s overnight cleaning team in action on the subway. Clean me…

Who knew getting your sleeves wet on purpose when washing those hands (again) was actually a Thing? Scrub up…

Awesome photos that capture New York City in lockdown. Snap…

Ready to share your COVID-19 story? These NYC institutions are poised to listen. Tell …

Keep safe. Ruth will be with you tomorrow. If you enjoy the newsletter, please forward to friends and ask them to subscribe.

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