Broadway is making masks optional in July

Broadway is lifting the curtain and its mask mandate.

All 41 theaters on the Great White Way will adopt a “mask optional” policy for the month of July, the district announced Tuesday.

“Millions of people enjoyed the unique magic of Broadway by watching the 75th Tony Award ceremony recently. Millions more have experienced Broadway LIVE in theaters in New York City and throughout the U.S. since we reopened last fall,” Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, said in a statement.

Theatergoers are still encouraged to mask, but will not be required to do so.

Audience members have been required to wear masks in theaters since they reopened, and Broadway has kept the mandate in place, making it one of the last industries to do so. Most theaters lifted their vaccine mandate in late April.

The city Health Department currently lists New York at high alert for COVID-19 and advises all New Yorkers to wear a mask in any public indoor setting. Mayor Adams has lifted almost all mask rules, including last month for 2to 4-year-old children who were still not eligible for vaccines at the time.

The COVID pandemic ravaged Broadway, shutting down the Theater District for more than a year as the virus swept through the city. Even after its reopening, shows have faced delays and early shutdowns.

Just last week, “Music Man” star Hugh Jackman tested positive after the Tony Awards, during which he performed with co-star Sutton Foster, and was forced to miss several shows. Beanie Feldstein also missed a week of “Funny Girl” performances.

The Broadway League’s mask guidelines will be in place through the end of July and will be reevaluated at the end of that month.