⸻
Last week on YouTube, We talked about the snow controversy — the unexpected winter storm that caused Broadway to shut down.
Broadway.
Shut down.
Because of snow.
If you love theatre the way I do, those words almost feel impossible.
Broadway is the city that never sleeps.
The show must go on.
There are no snow days in professional theatre. I mean, at least that’s what we were always taught.
But then… sometimes there are.
And when it happened, the internet had opinions.
Some people said it was unnecessary.
Some said it was about safety.
Some blamed producers.
Some blamed unions.
Some blamed the city.
But underneath all of that commentary was something deeper — something I think we don’t talk about enough.
Theatre is live. Full of real people with real jobs and real dangers.
⸻
The Myth of “The Show Must Go On”
We romanticize the idea that performers push through anything.
Illness. Injury. Exhaustion. Weather.
And honestly–living in Chicago–a part of me sees what we drive through to get to work and drive to sports games and I think…why not still go to a show?
But here’s what I’ve learned as a director:
Bravery and wisdom are not the same thing. It might be time to rethink the phrase “the show must go on”,
Broadway isn’t just actors on a stage. It’s musicians traveling in dangerous conditions.
It’s crew members hauling equipment.
It’s ushers.
It’s stage managers.
It’s audience members navigating icy sidewalks and train delays.
It’s an entire ecosystem of human beings.
And sometimes leadership looks like canceling. But as we talk about in our YouTube episode-there is a whole different side of the story to consider. What if you are only in New York for one day and it was to see that show? Or the fact that a small theater would still have all the costs (royalties etc. but now have to give the ticket money back to patrons? and does the staff and actors still get paid even though there is no show? Some theaters would never be able to afford that.
⸻
Snow Reveals What We Value
When something shuts down Broadway, it forces a question:
What matters more — performance or people?
I direct community theatre. I’ve stood in rehearsal spaces watching storms roll in, doing the mental math:
Will everyone get home safely?
Are we asking too much?
Is this dedication… or is this pressure?
There is a fine line.
We tell stories about understudies going on with 10 minutes’ notice and actors finishing shows with injuries.
But snow is humbling.
Snow reminds us that no matter how bright the marquee is, we are still human.
⸻
Theatre Is Still Magic — Even in the Quiet
Broadway didn’t lose its magic because it paused for snow.
If anything, it revealed its humanity.
The lights go dark.
The snow falls.
The streets get quiet.
And then the next night, the curtain rises again.
That’s theatre.
Not unstoppable.
But resilient.
And maybe that’s a better story to tell.
Watch our episode below:https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=U59nNI-WjIk
Until next time,
This is just me, talking to you, From the Wings….
From the Wings 