A spokesperson for The Broadway League said on Jan. 11, "Even though weather reports are predicting more snow to fall upon the Great White Way, Broadway theatres will be open and the shows will go on. Enjoying Broadway shows is a great way to spend winter afternoons and evenings."
Anticipating the storm (which brought eight inches of snow to midtown and moved on to New England by 8 AM Wednesday), some Broadway producers on Tuesday announced "snow day" discounts for Wednesday performances.
According to the mayor's statement, "the public is urged to avoid all unnecessary driving during the duration of the storm" and "to use public transportation wherever possible."
Playbill.com recommends that ticket holders coming to Broadway for 2 PM matinees or 8 PM evening shows on Jan. 12 take trains and subways, which are usually less impeded by snow.
Producers almost never cancel shows due to weather, though sometimes ticket exchange opportunities are offered. Check point of purchase (and related websites). Only a power outage or cast/crew/staff absences would scuttle a performance, and absences are unlikely when there is this much advance notice of a storm — some cast and crew members who live outside of Manhattan have been known to bunk in the city to make sure they get to work, insuring that the show goes on. "I am telling everyone they are crazy to stay home tomorrow," Sue Frost, a lead producer of the Tony Award-winning Memphis told Playbill.com Tuesday night. "Broadway is open for business on Wednesday, you will get in to any restaurant you want before or after the show. I personally love being part of the brave crowd enjoying Times Square under a blanket of snow. I think it's kind of magical, and I will be hanging with my friends at the Shubert [Theatre]."
She quipped, "What else can we do to entice people to come to the theatre? I'm thinking hot cocoa in the lobby — checking with the Shuberts to see how they feel about that..."
The city is reminding travelers that information about any service changes to public transportation is available on the MTA website at mta.info. You can also get more information at nyc.gov.
The bulk of the snow in New York City fell between midnight and daybreak Wednesday.
The mayor was particularly vocal about this new storm because he and the city were widely criticized for the slow and confused cleanup that followed the recent Dec. 26-27 blizzard.
