Gov. Wolf eases crowd restrictions, but not many shows ready to go on - TribLIVE

Pennsylvania’s easing of restrictions on large gatherings provides some breathing room to event organizers during the pandemic — but don’t expect to see the likes of concerts, Broadway shows, parades and other crowd-drawing entertainment to resume in force anytime soon.

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, one of the region’s largest nonprofit arts organizations and theater hubs, said Gov. Tom Wolf’s newly announced changes to mandates do not go far enough to start rescheduling imminent shows and performances and other events.

Despite the changes allowing for up to 5,500 fans at Heinz Field, a majority of local arts and cultural venues cannot justify opening at the still-limited capacity of no more than 15% to 20% the occupancy, per the updated state limits, said Kevin McMahon, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. The organization owns more than a million square feet of Downtown Pittsburgh properties and manages the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, Byham Theater, Heinz Hall, Harris Theater and others.

“The new maximum occupancy calculator for indoor events is an encouraging step in our road to reopening,” McMahon said by email Tuesday hours after Wolf’s announcement. “However, we cannot financially operate our venues at an occupancy rate of 15 or 20 percent. Consequently, this announcement does not affect the Trust’s immediate plans.”

Along with many other sectors, Western Pennsylvania’s arts and cultural scene has been hit hard by the pandemic-spurred shutdown and related public health restrictions. Organizations continue to press on with social distance-friendly and virtual events, but few are on track to bring in as much revenue as they typically do while grappling with fixed costs and payroll expenses.

The Allegheny Regional Asset District doles out more than $100 million, collected from the extra 1% Allegheny County sales tax, to more than 100 nonprofit arts and cultural groups annually. It help organizations from small theatrical groups to assets such as the National Aviary and Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens maintain solvency even during good economic times.

RAD Executive Director Richard Hudic said RAD leaders “have been incredibly impressed with our regional assets, who have responded with agility and creativity in the face of this crisis” — from the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Place Aquarium turning to drive-thru tours, to children’s art classes and artist performances being broadcast via Zoom sessions.

“From virtual and outdoor programming to enhanced safety measures, our cultural organizations have found ways to remain connected to their audiences and to share their work in a time when it is needed most,” Hudic said Tuesday afternoon. “That being said, the magic of the arts is getting to experience it live and in person, and so today’s announcement helps put a piece of the larger reopening puzzle in place.

“While we are all eager to get back to our theaters and concert halls, the health and safety of our community remains top priority.”

Because it can’t use its typical venue, the Benedum, the Pittsburgh Opera plans an Oct. 17 performance of “Cosi Fan Tutte” with a live audience at its building on Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. Attendance will be limited to 52 people per show, depending on how many ticket holders come in groups or as singles. He explained that couples or groups can sit together, allowing more people to fit in the venue with social distancing parameters in place.

“The more people who come by themselves, the fewer people we can fit in total,” said Chris Cox, director of marketing and communications for the Pittsburgh Opera, which had to scrap its final two productions last season. “We have some elaborate covid protocols in place and socially distanced seating. We will be well within the 20% that the governor’s new order allows.”

The upcoming event — which will mark the Pittsburgh Opera’s first live show since March — was planned before Wolf’s latest announcement easing restrictions. There are no plans to expand seating further because of the changes.

“The Pittsburgh Opera is certainly very happy to hear about these restrictions being loosened,” Cox said. “It eliminates a lot of the stress that we’ve been feeling about the upcoming performances. In that sense, we’re very glad about the news. It doesn’t change the seating configuration that we’d already planned on, but we are happy to hear the announcement.”

The Wolf administration’s latest changes, set to take effect Friday, lift previous orders preventing groups of more than 250 or more with a series of percentage limits based on a venue or outdoor area’s occupancy level. Limits on indoor spaces are capped at 20% of maximum occupancy for events with fewer than 2,000 people; 15% for between 2,000 and 10,000 people; and 10% for events greater than 10,000 — up to 3,750 people. Outdoor gathering limits increased to 20% of occupancy at events of up to 10,000 people, and 15% of maximum occupancy at events with more than 10,000 — up to 7,500 people total.

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra provided few details on what the changes could mean for its imminent plans.

“The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is encouraged by the actions of Gov. Wolf to make it possible for more people to work at and to attend concerts and events at Heinz Hall,” Melia Tourangeau, president and CEO of the organization, said by email. The PSO has been hosting limited outdoor concerts on a mobile stage as part of an open-air concert series.

Among municipalities that have canceled a litany of annual celebrations is Tarentum, which continues to “think outside the box” when it comes to alternatives to celebrate upcoming holidays, Councilwoman Carrie Fox said. Among them: a drive-thru Halloween trick-or-treat option for children set for Oct. 17 and Santa Claus riding a fire truck and making dozens of stops on residential streets Dec. 5.

“You can’t have hay rides; you can’t have a cornstalk maze,” Fox said. “Now, for Christmas, instead of the parade, we did get together with Brackenridge and Harrison, and we’re doing what we call in Tarentum, ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town.’ ”

The outdoor gathering changes came too late to salvage the likes of the holiday parade or Tarentum summer concert series or fall festival, which was disappointing since two shows went on in June in which the crowds maintained proper distancing, Fox said.

“Parades don’t just happen. There is a lot of planning that goes into it,” Fox said. “You don’t know how many people you’re going to get. You don’t know how they’re going to act. We are just trying to be covid-responsible.”

A group of local public health experts issued a statement Tuesday warning residents that “the covid-19 pandemic is still here in our area and country; it will not be leaving any time soon.” Pennsylvania reported 1,036 new covid-19 cases on Tuesday and 17 new coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the statewide total to more than 165,200 cases and 8,244 deaths.

“Our collective ongoing vigilance to smart action remains the key to limiting illness spread and harm,” said the Western Pennsylvania Regional Chief Medical Officer Consortium, which includes doctors from UPMC, Allegheny Health Network, Excela, St. Clair Hospital and the Heritage Valley and Pittsburgh VA health systems.

The consortium urged everyone to continue to wear facial coverings, wash hands frequently and maintain a distance of 6 feet or more from non-household members, in line with Wolf’s mandate. “It’s not time to stop these steps,” the consortium said.

The changes come about a week after Allegheny County’s Department of Public Health lifted its 100-person limit last week, instead directing residents to abide by state guidance and mandates.

Previously, county orders had limited indoor gatherings to 25 people and outdoor crowds to no more than 100 people. The state has limited indoor gatherings to 25 people and outdoor crowds to 250.

Also last week, the state allowed restaurants to increase their indoor dining capacity to 50%.

Nesbit’s Lanes, a bowling alley in Plum, will be able to welcome back small leagues thanks to Wolf’s updated mandate, according to employee Frank Mercurio.

But the alley still can’t host tournaments and is awaiting guidance regarding high school teams.

“Twenty percent opened it up a little bit. I think the capacity of our building is 250, so it’d be like 50 people allowed in the building,” Mercurio said. “It’s pretty hard. I really don’t know how they expect anybody to run a business like this. We need them to have us at 50% capacity, at the very least.”

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