Madison native Tari Kelly has acted on Broadway and on national tours, but now she is out of a job because of the coronavirus.
"I lost three jobs this year in the period of like a week. Suddenly they were all gone.”
That happened back in March. Broadway hasn’t been immune to the effects of the coronavirus.
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"It is definitely taking a toll on my soul you know, my creative soul," she said.
Kelly doesn’t think any shows will return for at least six months or possibly longer.
"I believe that any big productions aren’t going to come back until next year."
You might be able to distance audience members, but you can’t do that as well with actors and the crew.
"We dance together. We do lifts. We kiss. How do you get around that? Working backstage with people. People are putting wigs on you, touching up your make up, changing your clothes.”
Financially Kelly said she will be okay. She had some big shows that put her in a comfortable position despite losing three gigs this year. However, that’s not the same for everyone. She said many of her actor friends have left New York City and moved back home.
"These are people in their 30's and 40's."
While the coronavirus affected some of her biggest professional moments. It also changed her personal ones. Kelly is newlywed. She got married on Zoom.
Now, for the meantime, she said she will stay in acting shape, begin to write a little more, and spend sometime with her husband.