Hurricane Sandy didn't just halt flights
David Letterman and Jimmy Fallon are doing their shows without audiences. Jimmy Kimmel, visiting from his home base in sunny Hollywood, cancelled a taping in Brooklyn. The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are taking the night off, and each of Broadway's 40 theaters will be dark through Tuesday – all because of a powerful storm bearing down on the East Coast.
City officials said that all film permits for Monday and Tuesday have been revoked because of the hurricane and associated safety precautions.
"There will be no city authorised outdoor filming within the five boroughs," read a statement Monday from the mayor's office of film, theatre and broadcasting.
The storm also forced Focus Features officials to cancel the New York premiere of Anna Karenina, which was set for Tuesday. A studio spokeswoman said they plan to reschedule.
Concerts planned for New York and New Jersey were canceled or postponed, including John Legend, Journey, comedian Louis CK, and the Freedom to Love Now show featuring Rufus Wainwright and fun., which is now set for spring of 2013.
Radio City Music Hall is shuttered until Wednesday. Off-Broadway shows and even national tours of Broadway shows like "Anything Goes," currently in Wilmington, Delaware, closed their doors.
It was the most disruptive storm for the theatre community since the threat of Hurricane Irene in late August 2011 prompted producers to cancel matinee and evening performances on both a Saturday and Sunday.
East Coast charity galas were also canceled, and fashion designer Prabal Gurung postponed the unveiling of his anticipated collection for Target until next week.
Sandy took a toll on the box office even before it made landfall. Movie-ticket sales were down more than 11% compared to the same weekend last year, said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com.
This weekend's top film, Argo, collected $12.1-million. The top film during the same weekend in 2011, Puss in Boots, earned $34-million.–Sapa-AP