The show must go on?

Not when coronavirus is looming.

With Gov. Ned Lamont’s executive order prohibiting gatherings of more than 250 people through April 30, concerts and shows are being canceled and postponed around the region.

As of Friday, though, movie theaters were remaining open.

Among the litany of postponed shows at various venues:

The Musical Masterworks concerts that had been planned for Friday through Sunday in Old Lyme now won’t happen.

Goodspeed Musicals has scrapped the performances of “Elvis My Way” scheduled for Friday through Sunday and is considering options for the first days of its scheduled run of “South Pacific,” set to open April 17.

The Garde Arts Center is rescheduling events that were supposed to happen from now through April 30, which included Melissa Etheridge on April 3 and Dave Mason on March 21 (as of late Friday, Mason was rescheduled for Sept. 11 at the Garde). The Garde is telling patrons to hold onto their tickets and the theater will contact ticketholders via email about holding seats or exchanges.

Steve Sigel, executive director of the Garde, said the Garde can still hold small private events like the two memorial services for community members set for this weekend.

Sigel and Becky Beaulieu, director of the Florence Griswold Museum, were among the leaders from a number of area arts institutions on a conference call Thursday about responding to the coronavirus; the call was organized by Wendy Bury of the Southeastern Connecticut Cultural Coalition.

“We all started talking about ways we could collectively leverage our online presence as cultural institutions in the region to promote what we are doing,” Beaulieu said.

Indeed, there is a lot of brainstorming going on as venues try to figure out how to connect with patrons, even as they’ve having to close their doors temporarily.

Sigel said the Garde is considering a “Live at the Garde” event online, a spontaneous talk show with him or guests; they might, for instance, give viewers an insight to backstage.

“That’s one of the ideas we’re bandying about. (It’s about) how we can stay connected because the communication is important,” he said.

Sigel added, “The idea of social distancing is interesting. I was thinking, gee, maybe we could do a socially distant event at the Garde, where everyone is 6 feet away from each other and all watching a movie. I was thinking about that because people still need each other.” 

The Kate postpones 43 shows

The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook has postponed its 43 shows through April 30, including Celtic Tenors on Friday and Michael Doucet and Sarah Quintana on March 25. Hepburn Center officials are working with artists and agents to try to reschedule those.

Mohegan Sun is postponing all Arena and Expo events through March 23 “out of an abundance of caution,” according to a statement from Mohegan Sun senior leadership. Some Wolf Den shows are being rescheduled, including Kalie Shorr's Sunday gig and The Romantics' March 21 performance.

Foxwoods has been canceling or postponing shows, as well; Tony Bennett's Friday concert, for instance, has been moved to June 6.

Even before Lamont’s executive order, the Coast Guard Band had decided to close its Sunday matinee to the public and livestream it only.

Movie theaters open

Niantic Cinemas remained open as of Friday, and so did Mystic Luxury Cinemas. Lorraine McBride, general manager for Mystic Luxury Cinemas, said that the movie theater is not reaching the 250-person number set by the governor. With business down because of the coronavirus fears, about 100 people attend a film there on Thursday, and that was over the course of 12 hours at the four cinemas inside the theater, she said.

Likewise, a Friday email from Heather Peters, director of public relations and public service for Regal Cinemas, said that Regal, which has locations in Waterford and Stonington, is “currently continuing to operate as normal” while also outlining the increased cleaning efforts they are making.

Museums shuttered

The Mystic Museum of Art is closing from Sunday through April 1, “pending further evaluation of the situation.”

The Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London will be shuttered from Saturday through March 31.

The Flo Gris in Old Lyme plans to also close from Saturday through March 31, although people can still visit its outdoor Artists’ Trail, which opened last summer.

The Norwich Arts Center board of directors held an emergency meeting Thursday and decided to close both the Donald Oat Theater and the art gallery until April 13. The monthly First Friday event on April 3 is canceled. Several theater events will be postponed to later dates not yet scheduled, including the NAC Volunteer Recognition Awards on March 21, Miss Lottie’s Café with Kyndra Joi & the Jim Hunter Trio on April 3, and Blues on Broadway April 8. For updates on Norwich Arts Center events, check the center’s Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages or its website, norwicharts.org/events.

The impact on venues is bound to be significant; Beaulieu said that everything surrounding the coronavirus will have a massive effect on the museum. She said the Flo Gris is running various financial scenarios, depending on the length and extent of the closure. It’s not just that there will be a drop in earned revenue because of fewer visitors, but the museums’ endowment will take a hit because of the recent devaluation of the markets and there will be a decrease in contributed income as people deal with their own investments.

“If there’s any message I could promote, it’s to support your local nonprofits. Donations are welcome — I’m sure I speak for all of us, not just the Florence Griswold Museum,” Beaulieu said. “All of us are an important economic driver, and it is in all of our best interests on behalf of the community to stay vibrant and to be sustainable.”

For the lastest closures and cancellations, visit bit.ly/CVclose.

k.dorsey@theday.com