It will look different than in the past, but there will soon be live performances again at the Lied Center.
Executive Director Bill Stephan says he’s looking forward to getting started. “With a deep commitment to the health and safety of our patrons, artists, volunteers, and staff, and extensive protocols for how to reopen in the safest way possible, we are so excited to be together again and welcome exceptional artists to Lincoln. The arts bring hope and joy into our lives, and we need that so much right now.”
As it reopens, the Lied Center is making the following commitments to health and safety:
- All shows at the Lied through at least January 16, 2021 will feature socially-distanced seating, dramatically reducing the capacity of the auditorium. Most seats will be available in pairs, with a distance of six feet between each group of seats.
- There will be increased cleaning and disinfecting that meets or exceeds University and health department guidance.
- The Lied has joined with UNL in requiring that face coverings be worn inside any campus building, including the theater.
- The Lied is adopting more comprehensive ticket flexibility than ever before. In an effort to encourage patrons who are feeling ill or have been exposed to someone who is ill to stay home, the Lied is making all tickets fully refundable, right up until show time.
- If a show is postponed or canceled, patrons will be offered the choice of keeping the value of their tickets as on-account credit to be used for another show or receiving a full refund.
The Lied Center’s Carson Theater will also be reopening, and will follow all the same health, safety, and ticketing procedures. The first scheduled event is the Angels Theatre Company’s First Flight Festival, which will run July 16-19, 2020.
Amid the continuing Broadway shutdown, the Lied is also announcing changes to the scheduled Broadway season. The 2020-2021 Lied Center Broadway season is now scheduled to begin in January with Come From Away. The national tours of Chicago, Les Misérables, and The Band’s Visit are currently postponed, and the Lied is working with them to schedule new Lied Center performance dates.
The complete Lied Center 2020-2021 season will be announced to the public on July 23rd, 2020.