STORY:
NY Theaters Go Dark New Year's Eve

Police order New York's theater district closed to avoid potential violence

Police Commissioner Howard Safir told Adams, "Shutting the theater is not only a safety measure, it's a practical precaution. With enormous crowds in the area, theatergoers pouring into the streets won't be able to get out the door."

Commanders for Manhattan South, the precincts whose watch includes 59th to the Battery, just notified all theater groups and owners that the West Side - 59th Street to 41st Street - will be closed all day, Adams reported.

Shubert Theater Chairman Gerald Schoenfeld told Adams: "The decision was reached three weeks ago and we were subsequently informed. All of us in the Broadway community have been very supportive."

Theater goers already holding tickets for New Year's Eve will have the option to exchange for another night or be given a refund. The Post reports Fran and Barry Weissler, producers of the SRO musical "Chicago," placed newspaper ads as early as one year ago guaranteeing they'll still be playing come Year 2000. They advertised Millennium Night seats for $200 apiece. "Chicago's" 1,600 seats were sold out at $100 per last New Year's Eve , Adams said.

Also among the losers are composers, lyricists, authors, whoever's on a royalty basis, and weekly wage earners, Adams reported.

Source: New York Post

DATE: 7/07/99

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