The Shows Go On on Broadway Following Hurricane Sandy

Looking around Duffy Square and the surrounding streets, you would never have known that just days before, one of the worst natural disasters in history brought the bright lights of Broadway to a standstill.

Patrons, performers, and, equally importantly, the unsung backstage heroes made their way to the theater district with smiles on their faces, despite enduring torturous commutes through seemingly endless traffic.

On his way into the Imperial Theatre, Nice Work if You Can Get It cast member Michael X. Martin told TheaterMania that his commute from the Riverdale section of the Bronx took upwards of two hours — and that he travelled part of the way by scooter.

At the Jacobs Theatre, one patron spoke of his two-hour trip from upper Manhattan especially to see the Tony Award-winning musical Once, while a tourist from Vancouver Island was hoping to exchange the tickets she had for the musical’s cancelled Tuesday, October 30 performance.

“The show must go on @OnceMusical we pulled it together cause we are awesome,” Tweeted that show’s production stage manager, Bess Marie Glorioso.

Many shows offered deeply discounted tickets to patrons willing to brave the transportation difficulties. For example, the Roundabout Theatre Company offered $20 in-person tickets to the October 31 performances of Cyrano de Bergerac and The Mystery of Edwin Drood with the presentation of your Metro Card. At Peter and the Starcatcher, all audience members had to say was “Sandy” and they received 50% off the ticket price.