As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Broadway theaters closed March 12, 2020, shuttering 16 shows that were playing or were in the process of opening. The Broadway League shutdown was extended first to April, then to May, then June, then September 2020 and January 2021, and later to June 1, 2021.
When Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that most sectors of New York would have their restrictions lifted on May 19, 2021 (including venues being able to operate at full capacity if all attendees are verified as having recently tested negative, or are fully vaccinated), he stated that Broadway theatres would not be able to immediately resume performances on this date due to logistical reasons. Cuomo and the Broadway League initially targeted that theatres would not be able to reopen until September 2021. On May 5, 2021, Cuomo announced that Broadway would be allowed to reopen on September 14, and the League confirmed that performances would begin to resume in the fall season.
Springsteen on Broadway became the first full-length show to resume performances on June 26, 2021. It opened at the St. James Theater to 1,721 vaccinated theatergoers. Pass Over then had its first preview on August 4, 2021 and opened on August 22, 2021, becoming the first new play to open. Hadestown and Waitress were the first musicals to resume performances on September 2, 2021. Hadestown's reopening was worked out by special arrangement of the Governor's office, the Broadway League, and Walter Kerr Theatre. The earlier engagement was required due to commitments by the producers to prepare for its national touring production. The 74th Tony Awards were also postponed; after the Tony nominations were announced on October 15, 2020 by James Monroe Iglehart, it was ultimately announced the following May that the ceremony would take place on September 26, 2021.