Who Canceled: A look at the concerts, films, events on hold

And soon there will be none (for a while).

Tours, awards shows, conventions and festivals on Thursday announced cancellations and postponements at a rapid clip, with concert tours being postponed, movie releases shifting and Broadway going dark.

Here’s a look at some of the ways the entertainment industry reacted to the spread of the coronavirus, which most people recover from but can cause severe illness in the elderly and those with pre-existing medical conditions.

MUSIC MUTED

Rock band The Who postponed their UK and Ireland tour that was scheduled to start Monday and run through April 8. Grammy-winning country duo Dan + Shay rescheduled the spring leg of their US arena tour, after they said some of their concerts were being forced to mandatorily postpone.

“We want the shows to be memorable, and not experienced with fear,” the “10,000 Hours” singers said in a statement Thursday.

Blake Shelton postponed the last two weeks of his Friends and Heroes tour, and Billy Joel also postponed two shows in March and April for later this year.

“I won’t take chances with the ones I love,” Kenny Chesney said in a statement announcing postponement dates on his upcoming tour spanning from mid-April through the end of May.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame postponed its induction ceremony, which was to feature commemorations of the late artists Whitney Houston and The Notorious B.I.G., as well as performances honoring Depeche Mode, the Doobie Brothers, Nine Inch Nails and T-Rex.

The city of Houston ordered the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, a major concert series in Texas, to close early, canceling upcoming shows by Lizzo, Chris Stapleton and Keith Urban. This year’s attendance varied from 50,000 to 70,000 people per concert.

FILM, INTERRUPTED

Studios began scuttling their upcoming releases Thursday, delaying “A Quiet Place 2” and “F9,” the latest “Fast & Furious” film that was to be a major summer release.

Some major releases, including Disney’s live-action remake of “Mulan,” remain on the calendar, but several smaller films like “Blue Story” and “Lovebirds,” shifted.

In Los Angeles, the TCM Classic Film Festival was canceled, with organizers citing concerns about public health.

The festival held in the heart of Hollywood was to run from April 16-19, kicking off with a screening of “Back to the Future.” Organizers say it will refund all ticket purchases.

HOLD THE APPLAUSE ...

The television industry continued Thursday to forgo audiences and large gatherings for its shows and events.

Comedy Central’s “Lights Out With David Spade” and “Tosh.0,” will both tape without audiences beginning Monday. Pop TV’s sitcom “One Day at a Time” has been taping without a studio audience since Tuesday.

Several broadcasters at the so-called “upfronts” — at which networks unveil their fall schedules to sell advance commercial time to advertisers — will not feature massive in-person presentations.

NBCUniversal and ViacomCBS said Thursday that their presentations long held in New York City theaters such as Carnegie Hall will be replaced by online specials and information for the advertising community. WarnerMedia says it is rethinking its presentation and will instead offer “a unique video experience″ on May 13.

... AND THE AWARDS, TOO

The Kids’ Choice Awards, scheduled for March 22 in Los Angeles, has been postponed.

GLAAD, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer media advocacy organization, canceled its GLAAD Media Awards in New York on March 19.

__

The Associated Press receives support for health and science coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

12 March 2020, 20:21 | Views: 206