Page 31 - ARUBA TODAY

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PEOPLE & ARTS Friday 13 March 2020
Hollywood shuts down, Broadway goes dark to curb virus cases

By JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — The en-
tertainment industry pre-
pared Thursday for an un-
precedented shutdown
to curb the spread of the
coronavirus, canceling up-
coming movies, suspend-
ing all Broadway perfor-
mances and eliminating
live audiences from televi-
sion shows until it's safe to
welcome crowds back.
To accommodate calls
for social distancing, Holly-
wood moved to pause the
normal hum of TV produc-
tions and the bustle of red-
carpet movie premieres.
After New York Gov. An-
drew Cuomo banned
gatherings of more than
500 people, Broadway the-
aters announced that they Empty ticket selling booths are seen as a couple buys discounted Broadway theatre tickets at the TKTS kiosk, Wednesday, March
would close immediately 11, 2020, in New York's Times Square. Associated Press
and remain dark through
April 12. gatherings of more than us, now is clearly not the in recent days tested posi- tion on the next season of
The closures amount to a 250 to help stymie the virus' right time to do that." tive for COVID-19 and is un- "Survivor" was being post-
nearly complete halting of spread. California Gover- Paramount also shuffled der quarantine. Broadway poned. "Jeopardy!" and
the industry, from Lincoln nor Gavin Newsom rec- the release of "Lovebirds" is particularly vulnerable to "Wheel of Fortune" have
Center to Hollywood, and ommended the cancella- and "Blue Story." Few ma- the coronavirus because also halted tapings with au-
the largest-scale shutdown tion or postponement of jor releases remain in the its audience skews older, diences.
of many of the country's gatherings of 250 or more coming weeks, with the no- thousands of people are The closures, postpone-
major arteries of culture. people through at least the table exception of the Walt packed into small seats for ments and hiatuses are
The upcoming "A Quiet end of the month. That put Disney Co.'s "Mulan." It's set every show and the indus- likely to be enormously
Place 2" and the latest "Fast a new focus on Broadway, for March 27 in the U.S. A try is dependent on tourism. costly. The shuttering of
& Furious" movie joined the multiplexes and smaller spokesperson for Disney did The announcement Chinese movie theaters —
many postponements that concert venues. not immediately comment Wednesday evening that the world's second-largest
have erased much of the Hollywood still planned to Thursday. Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita movie market has been
upcoming movie release usher in several new mov- Across Hollywood, the usu- Wilson, had tested positive closed for more than a
calendar. The Metropolitan ies beginning Thursday al machinations of show for coronavirus sent shud- month — has already led
Opera at Lincoln Center, evening at theaters. North business, from auditions ders through the industry. to the loss of more than
the New York Philharmon- American's largest chains, to rehearsals, were grind- Hanks was easily the most $1 billion in ticket revenue.
ic and Carnegie Hall all AMC and Regal, did not ing to a halt. Apple's "The famous person yet to pub- Last year, global box office
canceled events through respond to emails Thurs- Morning Show" was among licly announce that he had sales reached a new high
March 31. day. Cinemas have been the many productions put the virus. He was in Austra- of $42.2 billion.
The dawning awareness closed in China, India, Italy, on hiatus. Central Casting lia to shoot an Elvis Presley For most people, the new
of the virus' reach had al- Poland, Greece and other closed its offices. The TCM biopic that Warner Bros. coronavirus causes only
ready forced the cancella- countries. Classic Film festival, sched- said would halt production. mild or moderate symp-
tion or postponement of all John Krasinski, writer and uled next month in Los An- "Not much more to it than a toms, such as fever and
major imminent events on director of "A Quiet Place geles was canceled. one-day-a-time approach, cough. For some, especial-
the calendar, including the 2," announced that his The Rock and Roll Hall of no?" Hanks said of their ly older adults and people
sprawling South by South- film from Paramount Pic- Fame postponed its an- condition. with existing health prob-
west conference and fes- tures would not open next nual induction ceremony, On Thursday, "Jimmy Kim- lems, it can cause more se-
tival in Austin, Texas; Holly- week as planned but be scheduled for May 2 in mel Live!" and "The Late vere illness, including pneu-
wood's annual movie expo postponed to an as yet an- Cleveland. It was to have Show With James Corden" monia. The vast majority
CinemaCon, in Las Vegas; nounced date. Universal been televised live for the joined other late-night talk of people recover within a
this month's Kids Choice Pictures announced that first time by HBO. Posthu- shows in announcing they few weeks.
Awards in Los Angeles; the the "Fast and Furious" mov- mous inductees Whitney will tape without audienc- As of Wednesday evening,
sunny California music fes- ie titled "F9" would not open Houston and the Notori- es. That followed similar 38 people had died in the
tival Coachella, which was May 22 as planned but in ous B.I.G. were to be hon- decisions by CBS' "The Late U.S., while more than 1,300
put off until October; and April next year. ored, along with Depeche Show With Stephen Col- people had tested positive
big television events like "One of the things I'm most Mode, the Doobie Broth- bert," NBC's "Tonight Show" for the new coronavirus.
the NBA season, which was proud of is that people ers, Nine Inch Nails and T. and "Late Night With Seth Tolls have been higher else-
put on hiatus after a player have said our movie is one Rex. Canada's top music Meyers," Comedy Central's where. In Italy, where more
tested positive for the virus. you have to see together," awards show, the June "The Daily Show with Trevor than 15,000 people tested
The NHL also suspended its Krasinski said in a message Awards, was also called off Noah," HBO's "Last Week positive and more than
season. on social media. "Well due as a precaution. Tonight with John Oliver" 1,000 people have died, all
Earlier Thursday, Califor- to the ever-changing cir- A part-time usher and se- and TBS' "Full Frontal with stores except pharmacies
nia urged bans of not just cumstances of what's go- curity guard who worked Samantha Bee." and food markets were or-
the largest events but also ing on in the world around at two Broadway theaters CBS also said that produc- dered closed.q