Westchester Broadway Theatre agrees to refunds following venue shuttered
Point out Legal professional General Letitia James on Tuesday introduced an agreement that obtained additional than $1 million for customers of Westchester Broadway Theatre who were being denied refunds after the corporation canceled performances and closed down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WBT, a dwell theater corporation previously based in Elmsford, agreed to refund tickets and gift certificates procured prior to the get started of the pandemic in March 2020.
“For months, theatergoers have been caught in the wings, but today my workplace assisted place additional than $1 million back again into New Yorkers’ pockets,” James said in a statement released by her business office. “Though the curtains are last but not least shut on this saga, we will carry on to go soon after businesses that refuse to reimburse individuals.”
James said prospects have currently begun acquiring refund checks.
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According to James, as of March 2020 WBT had sold far more than 30,000 tickets to future performances that were being canceled when the theater corporation was forced to close its doors since of the pandemic
Their previous display before closing, “All Shook Up,” opened on March 12, 2020. The pursuing day, the theater shut below a mandate issued by then-governor Andrew Cuomo, which shuttered live amusement venues and many other firms considered non-important.
Next the shutdown, James explained her place of work acquired a lot of problems that WBT refused to challenge refunds for canceled exhibits. In Oct 2020, James commenced an investigation soon after it was reported that WBT was completely closing and would not reimburse patrons.
Instead, James observed, WBT designed a ticket trade policy with the White Plains Executing Arts Middle, beneath which WPPAC would honor tickets and gift certificates acquired for WBT demonstrates, once their personal displays ended up equipped to resume.
Having said that, James said, no refund choice was offered to WBT ticket holders, and the ticket trade did not honor the meal part of the WBT tickets.
Only 930 WBT ticket holders participated in the ticket trade, James mentioned.
Underneath the agreement, James explained WBT has agreed to refund $1,127,258.84 to consumers, which includes those who participated in the WPPAC ticket trade.
Reward certificate holders who exhibit a receipt may well be qualified for a refund, or may perhaps use the gift card at WBT’s new locale in Chappaqua.
WBT acquired approximately $4 million in federal help less than the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant, in accordance to a letter from James to Michael J. Raneri, an lawyer for WBT.
Less than the conditions of that grant, the company should go on to work its dwell theater small business, but not as a dinner theater. It also will have to run less than a new name, which has however to be decided, when it operates shows at the Chappaqua Undertaking Arts Center.
Raneri had not responded to a ask for for remark as of Tuesday night. WBT President William Stutler reported Tuesday evening that the corporation will shortly be asserting upcoming exhibits at its new locale and that every person had been refunded, but would not remark even further.
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