Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Venues Won't Go Dark Like Broadway

PITTSBURGH, PA - Broadway may be going dark for the next month due to the coronavirus outbreak, but the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust plans to keep raising the curtain on performances in its Downtown venues.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Thursday banned all gatherings of more than 500 people except for schools hospitals, nursing homes and mass transit until April 12. Since Broadway theaters seat more than 500, they fall under the closure edict.

While the Cultural Trust acknowledged that the outbreak was an "evolving situation," the organization stated in a release a day before the New York developments on Wednesday that all of its productions and events are set to proceed as scheduled.

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The trust said it has taken the following steps to minimize risk:

• Intensified cleaning of all frequently touched surfaces (i.e. doorknobs, armrests, handrails, etc.)
• Installed 200 sanitizing stations throughout our venues for guest, staff, and artist use.
• Transitioned all solvents to a disinfectant version, used according to directions provided by the manufacturer.
• Deployed Clorox 360 touch-free sanitation in large spaces, a cleaning product specifically manufactured to disinfect spaces during flu outbreaks or for other environmental concerns.
• Dedicated staff resources to monitoring the global situation and implementing new procedures as they become necessary.

The trust owns and operates Benedum Center, Heinz Hall, Byham Theater, O'Reilly Theater, Greer Cabaret Theater, Harris Theater, August Wilson African-American Cultural Center and Arcade Comedy Theater.