Photograph courtesy of Governor Cuomo's website
A voluntary program that identifies who has recently tested for COVID-19 and who has been vaccinated may help fast-track the reopening of theaters, stadiums and other businesses in New York State. Governor Andrew Cuomo said on March 2 that this pilot program is already in its initial phase.
First announced in the governor's 2021 State of the State address, the Excelsior Pass was successfully tested during the Brooklyn Nets game at Barclays Center on February 27. It will be tested for a second time during the New York Rangers game at Madison Square Garden on March 2.
Photograph courtesy of Governor Cuomo's website
Photograph courtesy of Governor Cuomo's website
The Excelsior Pass, developed in partnership with IBM, uses technology to confirm an individual's vaccination or a recent negative COVID-19 test through a confidential data transfer. Similar to a mobile airline boarding pass, individuals either print their pass or store it on their smartphones using the Excelsior Pass' wallet app. Each pass will have a secure QR code, which venues will scan using a companion app to confirm a ticket holder's COVID health status.
"We're doing everything we can to vaccinate as many New Yorkers as possible, as quickly as possible, while keeping the infection rate down and reenergizing our economy in a safe, smart way," Cuomo said. "As we begin reopening the valves on different sectors of our economy, we are putting guidelines in place to ensure individuals attending events involving larger gatherings have tested negative for COVID or have been vaccinated to avoid an outbreak of the virus. The Excelsior Pass will play a critical role in getting information to venues and sites in a secure and streamlined way, allowing us to fast-track the reopening of these businesses and getting us one step closer to reaching a new normal."
Photograph courtesy of Governor Cuomo's website
Live Entertainment for Live Audiences
In New York City, concert venues have been closed for nearly a year due to precautions against the spread of the coronavirus. The last concert at Madison Square Garden was the Brothers, a 50th anniversary tribute to the Allman Brothers Band, on March 10, 2020, held before a full arena even amid early coronavirus concerns. Two nights later, the Beacon Theatre held its last concert, an all-star benefit entitled Love Rocks NYC. As the threat of infection spread became better understood, the concert promoters informed ticket holders earlier that day that they would not be admitted into the building, and that the show could be watched online. Only a couple hundred guests were admitted to the concert. This concert turned out to be a super spreader, as performers Jackson Browne, Paul Shaffer, Ivan Neville, Larry Campbell and others became sick in the days after the concert.
Governor Cuomo relaxed restrictions at arenas in recent weeks, allowing 10% indoor capacity under strict restrictions, including the need for spectators to prove recent negative COVID test results in order to gain admission. While this proved successful for sporting events, which had been taking place with no live spectators. no concert promoters has thus far been willing to invest in a concert under such capacity limitations.
This past fall, City Winery began implementing on-premises testing for guests and staff on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to provide a COVID-free environment. Although seen as a successful pilot, it came to an end when Cuomo ended indoor dining in December 2020. Even with recent permissions for 25% and then 35% indoor capacity, City Winery has not yet reopened, but expectations are that the restaurant and concert venue will reopen before the end of March 2021.
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| Live music, absent for nearly a year in large venues, can be heard in downtown restaurants. Above, SoulCake performed at the Anyway Café on February 25 |
Since June 2020, live entertainment in New York City largely has been happening in parks and restaurants. Due to travel and quarantine restrictions, tours came to a complete stop. Most shows were performed by local non-touring artists. By the end of the summer, numerous parks and restaurants were teeming with live music and other entertainment, including comedy and burlesque. As late fall and winter came, inclement weather and further governmental restrictions significantly reduced the amount of live entertainment available in the city. Only a few restaurants, mostly in downtown Manhattan, continued to showcase music acts nightly.
Many venues, including the aforementioned Madison Square Garden, Barclays Center, and the Beacon Theatre, have concerts booked for the summer and fall of 2021. Madison Square Garden has Justin Bieber and JoJo Siwa scheduled for July concerts, Rage Against the Machine for five August concerts, and several more concerts booked for the fall months. Barclays Center has Justin Bieber and My Chemical Romance booked for summer shows. The Beacon Theatre has booked Jose Luis Perales and Iliza in May, Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band and Pimpinella in June, and a variety of others shows into the summer and fall. Several outdoor venues, including Forest Hills Stadium and the Rooftop at Pier 17, have scheduled concerts for the summer. Most of these concerts were rescheduled from 2020. There has been no announcement from these venues or concert promoters about hosting any of these concerts at reduced capacity, however.
Contemporary Adults performed at the Anyway Café on February 26
Even with initiatives like the Excelsior Pass, will the artists and concert promoters stage these concerts at drastically-reduced indoor capacity? Will the performers even be allowed to cross state lines without having to quarantine for 14 days? Even with an Excelsior Plan initiative in place, these large-venue concerts are not likely to happen unless travel and capacity restrictions are loosened in New York.
Recently announced initiatives, including Cuomo's NY PopsUp series, Mayor Bill de Blasio's Open Culture program, and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts' Restart Stages program will bring live entertainment to makeshift spaces throughout the city. The Theater for the New City continues its Saturday afternoon variety shows for spectators on the sidewalk. As the temperatures rise, musicians and other entertainers likely will return to the parks for impromptu busking performances. In the meantime, the only sure place to catch live music these days is in the city's entertainment-catering restaurants -- the Anyway Café, Baby Brasa, Bar Nine, Caravan of Dreams, the Corner Bistro, Fine and Rare, the Flatiron Room, Joey Bats Café Lower East Side, the Juke Bar, Marshall Stack, Minton's Playhouse, Pinky's Space, Red Lion, Rue-B, and Sour Mouse NYC.
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