WMNR Fine Arts Radio

Broadway Bound 322 -- Ghostlight of 2020

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, Broadway theaters were forced to close on March 12, 2020. Overnight the lights went out on about 40 Broadway productions. The only lights left on were ghostlights. A ghostlight is a simple staff, like a floor lamp without a lamp shade, with a bare light bulb at the top. A Broadway tradition more than 100 years old, this simple light is placed on the stage and illuminated, usually by the stage manager, after the show is over. All other lights in the theater are turned off. And the theater is locked up for the night.

Instead of stages ablaze with magnificent lighting, only the ghostlights provide dim illumination, a sign of hope in the vast darkness.

On this edition of Broadway we look at the shows that were stopped dead in their tracks. Some were fixtures on Broadway like The Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, and Wicked. Some were well-established and packing the houses like Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, Aladdin, Frozen and The Book of Mormon. And still others were new this season like Moulin Rouge, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical and Girl From the North Country that literally opened to raves just one week before it had to shut down.

Not every musical that was forced to close is represented, but this sampling gives us the sense of loss, albeit temporary, that the devistaing pandemic has had this aspect of our culture.