NC entertainment venues discussing ways to reopen safely amid coronavirus pandemic

A group called the NC Live Coalition is considering ways to safely restart shows at theaters and other entertainment venues.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused months of cancellations of concerts, musicals, and other live shows.

Coalition members include venues in Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Charlotte and Greensboro, according to a Tuesday news release.

Representatives from these venues are discussing measures such as cashless transactions, staggered audience entry, and disinfection, according to the news release.

Coalition members are also considering how they can maintain social distancing at some performances, Kerry Painter, general manager and director of the Raleigh Convention and Performing Arts Complex, said in an interview.

For example, a performance meant for a 160-seat theater at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts could be moved to a larger theater at the complex. For some shows, though, that strategy won’t work, she said.

Streaming the arts not easy

Venues are also considering streaming performances, Painter said, but copyright permissions are among the complicating issues.

“Part of what is really complex, how do we put performers on stage together and continue to social distance?” she said. “You can’t have two dancers on stage and not touching.”

Streaming conventions won’t be such a jump, she said, because many convention organizers are already doing it.

“For conventions, that’s become the norm,” she said. “For the arts, it’s harder.”

The coalition is monitoring what other venues around the country and the world handling live audiences, Painter said.

The coalition members include Carolina Theatre of Durham, Durham Performing Arts Center and Durham Convention Center. The Durham Performing Arts Center has consistently been one of the country’s top theater-sized venues in attendance and sales, The News & Observer has reported.

Coastal Credit Music Park at Walnut Creek, Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, PNC Arena, and Red Hat Amphitheater in Raleigh, and the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Cary are also part of the coalition.

In Charlotte, coalition members are: Blumenthal Performing Arts, Bojangles Entertainment Complex, Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre, Live Nation Carolinas, PNC Music Pavilion and Spectrum Center.

This story was originally published May 19, 2020 at 5:46 PM.