The New York Times: The Radio City Rockettes’ dazzling Christmas outfits. The tutus and feathers that adorn the company of the New York City Ballet. The catsuits of “Cats.”
If you’ve seen it on a New York stage, Ernest Winzer Cleaners has probably cleaned it.
7 comments:
This article is a really good example of how the Broadway shut down is affecting so many more people than everyone realizes. I hadn’t even thought about how this might be affecting these sorts of organizations. Honestly, I didn’t even know that Broadway outsourced their laundry and repairs, but of course, it makes sense. I am glad the owners of this business don’t want to close their doors for good, but I can’t imagine how hard this is for them, and for all of their workers. I have no idea how this will all ultimately affect the economy and everyone but eventually, if everything has to start shutting down it will and that is so scary for everyone because people still need to eat and live and that costs money but if everyone loses their jobs permanently or temporarily then life will become really hard. I really hope the government can figure out something fast that helps people survive.
Dark time on broadway means that thousands of people do not get to experience the hard work and dedication of hundreds of people. While this news is sad and makes the lives of performers, stagehands, and designers increasingly difficult I had no idea that it would impact other small businesses like dry cleaning. Much like Annika said, of course, it does. The amount of industries that rely on the commercial theatre industry is far larger than I believe anybody realizes. These uncertain times have left so many people unsure about their future, especially for small business owners. I think articles like these should be more widely produced, small businesses are only nationally recognized during small business Saturday however, during these times, supporting local business is more important than ever. While nobody knows for certain when life may return to a sense of normalcy, hopefully, people will continue to work towards supporting the causes they hold close to their heart.
This is an incredibly interesting example of the idea that there is so much more than what meets the eye in the theatre. As a younger audience member, it was hard for me to understand that when I saw a show people were operating the lights, or even calling the show. Those parts of theatre can go unseen to an audience member without the context, however, there are so many elements of a professional show that don't even come to mind. (I didn't even know that media was a technical element of the theatre until I took the CMU mini class.) However, under our current state which is causing theatres and many other businesses to close, we are seeing a ripple effect which is illuminating the various elements in the theatre. The article states that in addition to actors, directors, etc, there are many ushers, theatre staff, stagehands and musicians that are also out of a job. It truly does take a village.
Theatre and performance is always meant to teach and entertain, whatever that many mean to each person, everyone walks out of a theatre feeling different than the way they came in. Changing a person's emotions and perspective and making them feel and think. That’s theatre. And I think the fact that it’s gone, for now, is impacting more people than people thought it would. For many, performance and theatre is an escape. And in a time like this where all anyone wants to do is escape the terrifying thought of the constant unknown, we can all use a little theatre and a little entertainment to take our mind off things. It’s so sad to think that everyone’s hard work and dedication is not going to be recognized. I don’t think it is fair at all and I wish I knew a way to fix it and give back all the time and energy people spent on productions and performances. And most of all I wish I could restore the heartbreak of being so excited for something and never getting to see it come to life.
This article is a really good example of the ripple effect of this crisis, and that theaters do not stand alone, they can be the pillars of communities, without even realizing it. It is so sad to hear these stories, because even if the unions step it up and start better protecting the artists out of work, there will always be people, like the workers at this dry cleaning company, that will still be out in the open and struggling. Along with so many ushers, theater staff, and musicians. It is truly heartbreaking to hear all these stories, and there are so many unknowns that only work to escalate the severity of the situation. There is no planning when the future is not only unclear, it is unknown. The only light at the end of the tunnel is that eventually this pandemic will be over, and life may be altered, but I know that artists will not cease to create, and Broadway has not dimmed its lights for good.
I remember learning in class earlier this year that past Broadway shutdowns from various union strikes or otherwise have cost the city of New York millions of dollars in tax and tourist revenue. With Broadway closed, an entire lifeline of work in the city, which is a world renowned hub for entertainment, seems to have disappeared. After Broadway announced their closure, I decided to stay away from the news for my own health. It was kind of the final straw, seeing that announcement and knowing that so many people that I admire and look up to had just lost their livelihoods for an indefinite amount of time. There is so much hopelessness and unknown components interwoven into this crisis. Seeing the resilience of some of the people in this article brings back some of this lost hope. I am trying not to think about what will happen to all of these people, and most of the world, when businesses are no longer able to keep their doors open. It is scary and horribly sad.
All of the notions in this article have become increasingly clear recently. The shutdowns occuring on Broadway and the theatre industry in general are like the first card being pulled out from the bottom of a card house. I think that, when most people think of theatre they think first of the actors, then the technicians and it stops after that. For every task to be done, there seems to be a different person to perform that task. And now, that means that all of those people are without jobs. I think that there has been an admirable push to “shop local” and support small businesses but I do not think that that can always extend to everyone. Especially when businesses - such as Ernest Winzer Cleaners - have relied almost solely on (in this case) revenue from Broadway shows, I am sure it is harder to stay afloat. It is good that their business supply has not been completely cut off but, as it probably is for many businesses, a limited stream of business may not be enough for the business to survive.
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