author unknown
I don’t know if the audience side really understands how dire the situation is for millions of hard-working professionals.
Broadway is closed until 2021, 6 West End venues THINK they can open at the moment. Cirque du Soleil is filing for bankruptcy and cut 3500+ jobs. Feld Entertainment laid off 90% of its workforce permanently. Live Nation had to lay off a significant amount of employees. Cruise ship entertainers are out of work.
Theme park productions have no idea when they will be recalled. There are no concerts, festivals or touring productions scheduled until 2021 and if they don’t happen next year, they may never happen again. No Jazz Fest, no Coachella, no Bonnaroo, no EDC, no Glastonbury, no Download, no ROLLING STONES FINAL TOUR(S), no ballet, no opera….all gone.
It’s being predicted that 90% of independent music venues may close, the longer this continues. No more 1st Ave, Whiskey-a-GoGo, no more Tipitina’s, no more Red Rocks, no more CroBar, all gone. Entertainment Management, Publicity, Live events coordinator, Performing arts organizations of all kinds- choirs, theatres, orchestras, dance companies- all are trying to figure out on a daily basis how to keep going and employ anyone they can in the field.
More than 12,000,000 people work entertainment production, we are not insignificant and this industry cannot reopen until mass gatherings can happen again. This doesn’t include the additional layoff of venue management and bar staff, security and thousands of vendors. Also, we can’t forget about the hundreds of thousands of performers and entertainers that make these careers possible, without them, there is no show.
So when you see your entertainment friends begging you to wear masks and stay home, understand that we are helplessly watching our industry crumble before our eyes because the country is doing so poorly at reducing the spread. This IS personal for us, our entire livelihood is dependent on social gathering and we will not accept being labeled “nonessential”.
Music and art are critical to a cheerful, balanced society.
Everyone’s career and the whole industry is indefinitely on hold. PLEASE wear your mask (over your mouth AND your nose) and wash your hands.
Gratefully copied. Feel free to do the same.