U. S. Sen. Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the Broadway League renewed the call for dedicated federal funding for Broadway and other New York live venues today, reiterating the push for the $10 billion bipartisan Save Our Stages campaign.
“Today we are fighting hard to keep stages alive, stories told and shows going on,” Schumer said at an outdoor press conference in New York’s theater district near the TKTS Booth. The senator joked that he would demand “a Lion King’s share of federal relief” for Broadway.
Citing the $15 billion contributed by Broadway to New York’s economy last year, the 100,000 jobs, and the millions of tourists, Schumer called live performance “our pulse, our energy.” He said theater was particularly vulnerable to COVID since live venues were “the first to close under COVID and the last to open.”
Last month, Schumer endorsed the $10 billion bipartisan Save Our Stages bill co-authored by Senators Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, and Republican John Cornyn to provide grants of up to $12 million to eligible live venue operators, producers, promoters, or talent representatives to help cover six months of operating expenses and offset the economic impact of COVID-19. The grants could be used for payroll costs, rent, mortgage, utilities, and personal protective equipment, among other needs.
Schumer said today that the grants would aid live venues in staying afloat until next spring when a vaccine could be available. If no vaccine arrives by then, Schumer said, he would seek to renew the bill. The senator requested that theater industry insiders util... (Read more)
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