The National Football League (NFL) will hold a special event in Times Square on Sept. 5 to mark the beginning of the 2002 football season.

Because of the millions expected to attend the celebration and the possible congestion in the theatre district, Broadway shows may push back curtain time to 8:30 PM. The League of American Theatres and Producers is expected to announce shortly whether such a change in curtain time will occur.

"NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square" will feature performances from Bon Jovi, Enrique Iglesias and a host of other pop stars prior to the football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants (Giants Stadium). CBS will tape the event and air one hour's worth of footage on Sept. 6. VH1 plans to televise Bon Jovi's performance live on Sept. 6 from 7 to 8 PM. MTV will also televise some portions of the program during its 90-minute "TRL" show, which begins at 3:30 PM.

September will be an unusual month for the New York theatre; many shows have already canceled performances on Sept. 11 to honor those who lost their lives during last year's attacks on the World Trade Center.

—By Andrew Gans