COVID-19 Update: March 30, 2020: Easter at Home Edition Greetings from New York, where the Javits Center is now an ICU unit, a field hospital has been set up in Central Park, and your correspondent has just seen the Navy hospital ship traveling up the Hudson River. To the surprise of no one, the White House is directing that social distancing continue through April 30: wapo.st/2QXB4KW. The next time that someone -- like, say, Nikki Haley -- complains about stimulus money going to performing arts organizations, don't forget how this industry drives the economy: wapo.st/33UBqHo. And consider what other countries, such as Germany, are doing to support its artists: bit.ly/2WUsaSj. Still, the stimulus offers hope for businesses attached to Broadway: bit.ly/2UwPlAx. And, just like the Javits Center, mentioned above, the LA Convention Center is also becoming a field hospital: bit.ly/2xEYqOr. The Tokyo Olympics will be held July 23, 2021 to August 8, 2021. The Paralympic Games will run August 24, 2021 to September 5, 2021: bit.ly/3bD5w4K. Country singer Joe Diffie has died from complications due to COVID-19: cnn.it/2UHvptu . Singer-songwriter John Prine is critically ill: cnn.it/39vGALg. Opera legend Plácido Domingo has been hospitalized: lat.ms/2Rcl1Jt The Wimbledon tennis championship is set to be cancelled for the first time since World War II: bit.ly/3bzokSz The mobilizing continues: Elton John, Billie Eilish, and Mariah Carey were part of an online telethon put on by iHeartRadio, in lieu of its annual awards. Others taking part included Backstreet Boys, Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Tim McGraw, Sam Smith, Demi Lovato, and H.E.R.: lat.ms/2JpjoDF Variety announced Friday that it is setting up a COVID-19 relief fund to support entertainment industry organizations that provide assistance to the neediest: bit.ly/2xzDwAm. Rihanna and her nonprofit organization, the Clara Lionel Foundation, have donated much needed personal protective equipment to New York City hospitals: cbsn.ws/2WW7b19. Facebook is investing $100 million to support local news organizations during the pandemic, in addition to its previous commitment to spend $300 million over a three-year period: bit.ly/33WcFuj. Variety reports that WarnerMedia will pledge $100 million in relief to workers affected by wide production shutdowns in film and television. bit.ly/33Ydgvv. So do the closings: Disneyland and Walt Disney World are now closed indefinitely: bit.ly/33WkhwY. L.A. County has closed its beaches and hiking trails: bit.ly/3bGlfAh. London's National Theatre will remain closed through June: bit.ly/3dHqtNO. California Shakespeare Theater is cancelling its summer season: bway.ly/os0hbv#https://www.americantheatre.org/2020/03/27/covid-19-forces-cal-shakes-to-cancel-2020-summer-season/. The North American tour of Broadway's The Spongebob Musical is shuttering: bit.ly/3dHqXn6 And for the stir-crazy among us, and who is not at this point: PBS has unlocked past episodes of Great Performances and Live from Lincoln Center for unlimited streaming. More will be added through the month. The free streams continue through May 27: bit.ly/2QQX2iH. To receive your LSA copies at home (no charge), please email LSA@plasa.org or go to www.ezsubscription.com/lsa/mysubscription. ![](/std_images/blank.gif)
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