Two Years After the Shutdown, Broadway is Back

On March 12, 2020, due the rapid spread of COVID-19, all 41 Broadway theatres went dark for what would become the industry's longest shutdown in history—18 months.

But there's reason to celebrate on this second anniversary of the event. Safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines together with myriad safety protocols have allowed live performance to return to Broadway. Twenty shows are currently running, and 15 are waiting in the wings to open later this spring.

Celebrate the return of live theatre, not only only on Broadway, but also Off-Broadway and beyond with a look through this special photo gallery of backstage photos below, from the companies of Tina, Moulin Rouge! the Musical!, Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away, David Byrne's American Utopia, Chicago, Jersey Boys, The Play That Goes Wrong, Stomp, and The Book of Mormon.

If you have photos of your own return to the footlights, we'd love to see them! Share them on social media with the hashtag #weareBACKstage and tag @Playbill.