Broadway lights go up in post-Sandy New York

NEW YORK - The lights went up again on Broadway Wednesday for the first time since Hurricane Sandy hit New York, as entertainers headed back to work in a city still wracked by power outages and a suspended subway system.

Though some Broadway shows, including Disney’s “Mary Poppins” and “The Lion King,” remained dark Wednesday night, the curtain was to rise for many of the other 38 shows, including “Cyrano De Bergerac.”

Patrick Page, who plays the villain Comte de Guiche in the production, was heading back to the theater for a matinee performance, even if he was unsure if there would be anyone in the seats.

“Broadway is as important an icon of New York City as the subways, so to get back to work is a sign that we can bounce back,” he said. “This has been such a tough time for so many and it’s vital that we show the lights are on and there’s great work being done onstage.”

Page said he spent a restless time off in his Upper West Side neighborhood, worried about his in-laws along the New Jersey shore. He is married to actress and TV personality Paige Davis.

He said he checked Facebook to find out how friends were fairing, obsessively watched the news and went out to check that neighbors had ridden out the storm.

“We’re New Yorkers,” he said. “We’ll get through this.”

The company of “Peter and the Starcatcher,” the Tony Award-nominated prequel to Peter Pan, faced some tense moments before their Wednesday matinee.

Five of their dozen cast members live in Brooklyn and faced a dicey commute. For instance, their Peter Pan, Adam Chanler-Berat, didn’t fly to the theater - he biked.

As the 2 p.m. show loomed, all the cast was in place, except for Captain Scott. He finally made it - but only five minutes until curtain.

AP