Category: AUDIENCE

Vienna Philharmonic Back In Concert Hall For First Time Since Pandemic

“[The orchestra’s] 2,854-seat Musikverein, considered by many the world’s most beautiful concert hall, was filled with only 100 people Friday for the first of three days of programs with Daniel Barenboim.” The AP’s Ronald Blum reports on the safety measures the Philharmoniker are taking and how they expect performances and audience sizes to ramp up over the next few months. – Yahoo! (AP)

How Indie Movie Theatres Are Innovating

“We will always have storytellers that want to tell stories and cinema has become an essential part of the way modern society does that,” said Tori Baker, the president and CEO of the nonprofit Salt Lake Film Society, which operates two art house theaters in Salt Lake City. “Sustainability — such as how many people at once, concession costs, what those concessions are — might shift. But what art houses have that the big chains don’t is the ability to innovate that experience.”  – Huffington Post

When Public Libraries Reopen, Things Will Be Different (And Very Hard On Librarians)

Not only will library staff have to deal with a raft of new safety procedures and protective equipment, they will be faced with enforcing mask-wearing and distancing rules on potentially recalcitrant patrons. “And all of it will be done under the threat of job cuts, a potential second wave of Covid-19 infections, immense budget pressure, and worsening political dysfunction.” – Publishers Weekly

Texas Governor Finally Gives Performing Arts Groups Guidelines On Operating Under COVID

Gov. Greg Abbott’s Phase III reopening guidelines covering “performance halls,” effective June 10, allow audiences up to 50% of capacity at indoor venues; there’s no such limit for outdoor shows as long as no single group has more than 10 people and all groups are at least six feet apart. Performers and presenters themselves aren’t prepared to rush back to work all at once, though. – The Dallas Morning News

California’s Cinemas Could Reopen As Soon As This Weekend

Guidelines, issued on Monday by the state’s Dept. of Public Health and currently under review by the governor’s office, require spacing between seats, masks required of all customers when entering and leaving the building and in line for concessions or restrooms, and an upper limit of 100 attendees or one-fourth of the theater’s capacity, whichever is lower. – Variety

Broadway Wonders When Tourists Will Feel Comfortable Returning

There’s no clarity about it. One responder from Los Angeles: “Without a vaccine or a cure, to attend a performance would not be a rational choice. The issue is not the statistical probability of getting the virus. Rather, it is the anxiety of being infected that prevents devout thespians, like yours truly, from going back.” – The New York Times

China’s Movie Theatres Reopened… But Audience Hasn’t Returned

There are now more than 12,000 cinemas in China, according to market research firm IBISWorld. This figure has more than doubled in the past decade as China has embraced movie-going. But four out of 10 said they “are very likely to close” in the near future, according to the China Film Association survey. This could mean nearly 5,000 cinemas going bust as a result of the pandemic. – BBC