Page 30 - aruba today

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Saturday 14 March 2020
Coronavirus brings entertainment

world to a standstill

By JAKE COYLE season, March Madness Apple's "The Morning Show"
AP Film Writer and the NHL season. was among the many pro-
NEW YORK (AP) — The en- Earlier Thursday, Califor- ductions put on hiatus.
tertainment industry pre- nia urged bans of not just Central Casting closed
pared Thursday for an un- the largest events but also its offices. The TCM Clas-
precedented shutdown gatherings of more than sic Film festival, scheduled
to curb the spread of the 250 to help stymie the vi- next month in Los Angeles
coronavirus, canceling up- rus' spread. California Gov. was canceled. Leading
coming movies, suspend- Gavin Newsom recom- talent agents closed their
Passengers sit in a mostly empty sightseeing bus on Hollywood ing all Broadway perfor- mended the cancella- offices and sent agents
Boulevard, Thursday, March 12, 2020, in the Hollywood section mances and scuttling con- tion or postponement of home to work.
of Los Angeles. cert tours until it's safe to gatherings of 250 or more The Rock and Roll Hall of
Associated Press welcome crowds back. people through at least the Fame postponed its an-
To accommodate calls end of the month. That put nual induction ceremony,
for social distancing, Holly- a new focus on Broadway, scheduled for May 2 in
wood moved to pause the multiplexes and concert Cleveland. It was to have
normal hum of TV produc- venues. been televised live for the
tions and the bustle of red- Disneyland plans to shut its first time by HBO. Posthu-
carpet movie premieres. gates Saturday for the rest mous inductees Whitney
After New York Gov. An- of the month. After Sunday, Houston and the Notori-
drew Cuomo banned Florida's Disney World will ous B.I.G. were to be hon-
gatherings of more than also close to guests through ored, along with Depeche
500 people, Broadway the- the end of March. And Dis- Mode, the Doobie Broth-
aters announced that they ney is suspending any new ers, Nine Inch Nails and T.
would close immediately cruise ship departures start- Rex. Canada's top music
and remain dark through ing Saturday. awards show, the June
April 12. Beginning Saturday, the Awards, was also called off
The Tribeca Film Festival Universal Studios theme as a precaution.
was called off too. park in Los Angeles will The announcement
The closures amount to a close until at least March Wednesday evening that
nearly complete halting of 28. Universal Studios in Or- Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita
the industry, from Lincoln lando plans to shutter for Wilson, had tested positive
Center to Disneyland, and the rest of the month start- for coronavirus sent shud-
the largest-scale shutdown ing Monday. ders through the industry.
of many of the country's Hollywood still planned to Hanks was easily the most
major arteries of culture. usher several new mov- famous person yet to pub-
The Metropolitan Opera at ies into theaters beginning licly announce that he had
Lincoln Center, the New Thursday evening. North the virus. He was in Austra-
York Philharmonic, Carne- American's largest chains, lia to shoot an Elvis Presley
gie Hall, the Apollo Theater AMC and Regal, did not biopic that Warner Bros.
and the Kennedy Center in respond to emails. Cin- said would halt production.
Washington all canceled emas have already been Hanks posted an photo on
events through March 31. closed in China, India, Italy, Instagram late Thursday,
Live Nation Entertainment Poland, Greece and other saying he and Wilson re-
and AEG Presents, the countries. main in isolation and that
world's largest live-enter- But they will soon run out of they are taking it "one-day-
tainment companies, sus- movies to play. Postpone- at-a-time."
pended all current tours ments have erased much In a nod to his manager
through March, includ- of the upcoming movie re- role in "A League of Their
ing those of Billie Eilish, the lease calendar. Own," Hanks concluded his
Strokes and Post Malone. The Walt Disney Co. wiped post: "Remember, despite
The dawning awareness out its upcoming slate, in- all the current events, there
of the virus' reach had al- cluding "Mulan," "New Mu- is no crying in baseball."
ready forced the cancella- tants" and "Antlers." Univer- On Thursday, "Jimmy Kim-
tion or postponement of all sal Pictures said the "Fast mel Live!" and "The Late
major imminent events on and Furious" movie titled Show With James Corden"
the calendar, including the "F9" would not open May 22 joined other late-night talk
sprawling South by South- as planned but in April next shows in announcing they
west conference and fes- year. John Krasinski, writer will tape without audienc-
tival in Austin, Texas; Holly- and director of "A Quiet es. That followed similar
wood's annual movie expo Place 2," announced that decisions by CBS' "The Late
CinemaCon, in Las Vegas; his film from Paramount Pic- Show With Stephen Col-
this month's Kids Choice tures would not open next bert," NBC's "Tonight Show"
Awards in Los Angeles; and week as planned but be and "Late Night With Seth
the sunny California music rescheduled to for another Meyers," Comedy Central's
festival Coachella, which date. "The Daily Show with Trevor
was put off until October. Across Hollywood, the usual Noah," HBO's "Last Week
TV networks saw the scut- machinations of show busi- Tonight with John Oliver"
tling of most major sporting ness, from auditions to re- and TBS' "Full Frontal with
events, including the NBA hearsals, ground to a halt. Samantha Bee."q