There were some signs that New York was not going in the right direction.

At some point the music's going to stop and we're going to all have to deal with the consequences

of what's going on here and then the music didn't just stop, like the music stopped and the record was

smashed and the record player was thrown in the garbage.

Welcome to post Corona where we try to understand COVID-19's lasting impact on the economy, culture, and geopolitics.

I'm Dan Sinor. Is New York over? It's a question that's hotly debated these days. We will return to

this question from time to time over a number of episodes in the months ahead.

Last week we hosted two experts from the Manhattan Institute to look at the future of

subways.

On this episode we look at Broadway, the industry of live theater and arguably the beating heart of

Midtown Manhattan. Broadway has become big business and a big employer.

It's central to New York City's economy.

Broadway has experienced skyrocketing growth over the past several decades.

Think about this. In 1980, Broadway shows to audiences of 6 million people, generating about $500 million in revenues.

In 2019, pre-Corona, Broadway attracted some 15 million theater goers and close to 2 billion dollars in

revenues and that doesn't even include all the other derivative jobs that are

generated from millions of theater goers attending shows each year.

According to New York City's tourism agency, in a typical year, there are 66 million visitors to New York

City, generating 70-plus billion dollars in economic activity

and 7 billion dollars in tax revenues.

According to the organization Broadway League,

close to 15 billion dollars of that economic activity and 100,000 jobs here come

...