NEW YORK CITY — The entertainment industry has hit the pause button, maybe for the remainder of the year.
Justin Bieber, The Rolling Stones and K-pop band BTS postponed 2020 tours. Even the Jonas Brothers have put their Las Vegas residency on hold.
“Typically when you’re a touring musician, it’s a set of dates you’re not going to cancel half of a tour or piecemeal,” said Kevin Polowy, senior correspondent for Yahoo Entertainment. “Everyone needs to put on hold or postpone their tours for the time being because it is just a great unknown at what point it will it be to safe to announce new dates.”
The stars were left with little choice amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“The film studios are being hit very hard,” he said. “We’re seeing a five to six month shift in releases.” “We don’t know what point people are going to feel comfortable returning to movie theaters because of the scare we’ve all just been through.”
One area thriving, though, is television.
“It’s affecting movies a lot more than it’s affecting television right now,” said Polowy. “The TV shows can still be released as of now on schedule, since people are still going to be home to watch them and consume them.”
Polowy added there are other ways to enjoy entertainment.
“I think we’re going to see a lot of artists move online,” he said. “We’re already seeing a surge in popularity for the service called Stage It.”
Along with postponed concerts, Broadway is dark, movie theaters are closed, and so many of the activities New Yorkers enjoy are out of the question.
Behavioral specialist Dr. Marcie Beigel said it’s normal to be upset that life as we know it has been upended.
“If this is where we’re going to be for a while, and it sounds like we are, we need to make sure we find ways to still enjoy our life, even if it doesn’t look like what we expect it to be,” said Beigel.
For many, it’s difficult not to feel as if 2020 is canceled, with New Yorkers not being able to do all the things we’re used to.
“The reality of it is it’s making us be really creative, how we are engaging, how we’re spending time together, redefining celebrations, redefining events so we can survive in this new environment rather than be stuck in a place where we feel overwhelmed and depressed and sad about all of the things that are lost,” adds Beigel.
It’s looking at life differently and appreciating this time at home with loved ones.
“You have to work really hard to be creative about how you can celebrate these things, how we can still have fun and enjoy while at home,” said Beigel.
Even though there is far greater sadness in our world right now, experts said it’s alright to feel your own losses, no matter how minor.
“First and foremost: that’s okay, that’s expected, that’s normal, and please grieve the lost things,” said Beigel. “If you’re graduating, do you want to have a graduation party virtually with all of your friends on a zoom call. Or are you going to create your living room like the Fourth of July and throw confetti in the air to celebrate the fireworks,” she said.
“It really is the new version of life we know it and everyone will adjust to it.”
