In early May of this year, it was announced that starting in mid-Sept., Broadway would officially be reopening. Since the announcement, productions across New York have returned to in-person rehearsals in order to prepare for their reopening nights. During these past two weeks, various musicals have returned to the stage to feed hungry theater-goers who were deprived from the pandemic.

When the announcement was first made, there were many questions for theater performers, employees, and patrons alike. Would audiences have to show proof of vaccination? Would performers have to be masked? And would meeting the actors after the performance be allowed? Currently, theater patrons must show proof of vaccination when entering the theatre, while also having a mask on at all times. And for the time being, no one is allowed to greet actors, to maintain the safety of the performers as well as the audience.

On Sept. 2nd, Hadestown, a show that recently won a Tony Award for Best Musical, officially reopened. The majority of the principal cast reprised their roles for the reopening, with the exception of Patrick Page as Hades, who is off shooting a movie. Actor Tom Hewitt, who is known for his performances in the The Rocky Horror Show and The Lion King, stepped into the villainous role in Page’s absence. Audiences roared and shedded tears throughout the first act to the very final bow, and Hadetown’s creators Anais Michell and Rachel Chakvin gave a bittersweet speech to the cast and audience before the ending song “We Raise Our Cups.” It was truly a surreal moment for the cast and creative team as they raised their cups to a new beginning.

It has been  an exciting and joyous past few weeks as shows continue to reopen. Many theatre-goers cannot contain their excitement while deciding which show to see first. On Sept. 14th, the critically acclaimed musical Hamilton officially reopened, in which creator Lin-Manuel Miranda surprised the audience with an opening speech: “It took six years the first time [to bring Hamilton to stage]. Glad it wasn’t six years to come back.” The curtain then rose for the opening number “Alexander Hamilton”, and every actor who entered the stage enthusiastically applauded, no matter how big or small their role was. Miguel-Cervantes, who plays the title role, was given a three-minute standing ovation from the audience. The audience couldn’t be more thrilled to hear the words “My name is Alexander Hamiltion.” It’s true that history was happening in Manhattan, and everyone in attendance just happened to be in the greatest city in the world.

From Oct. 2021 to mid 2022, many shows plan on reopening, such as Six, Come From Away, and Company. New musicals are planning on making their Broadway debut as well, such as the new musical MJ, which chronicles the life of Michael Jackson and  features pivotal songs from his career. The reopening of Broadway marks a brand new era; shows will be bigger and better than ever before. After the pandemic has impacted theatre employees across the globe, it is a fact when people say that they will never take live theatre for granted ever again.