A stagehand at the Winter Garden Theatre died November 12, while working at the Broadway venue, after falling from above-the-stage scaffolding around 8:45 AM.
A representative for the Shubert Organization, which owns and operates the Broadway and 50th Street theatre, confirmed the incident. NYPD and OSHA were both at the scene following the tragic event to conduct an investigation into the circumstances.
According to The New York Post, where the incident was first reported, the worker was clearing the set of Beetlejuice, which was running at the Winter Garden up until the shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The 54-year-old man was taken to St. Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Center but could not be resuscitated.
The theatre—as all other Broadway houses—will remain dark until at least May 30, 2021. The Scott Rudin-produced revival of The Music Man aims to begin performances December 20 of next year before opening February 10, 2022 (it was originally scheduled to open this October). The stagehand was not an employee of either particular production.
UPDATE: Jujamcyn Theaters shared on Saturday that the deceased, Pete Wright, was a long-time flyman at the August Wilson Theatre. The theatre illuminated its marquee lights (a reverse of the industry tradition, as theatres have remained dimmed during the shutdown) to pay tribute. Jujamcyn owns and operates five Broadway theatres (including the August Wilson), though the Winter Garden is not one of them.
