Local and Industry News
The United Kingdom has re-implemented mask requirements in light of the Omicron COVID variant.
Masks will be required in cinemas and theaters, and vaccination passes will be required in nightclubs and larger venues.
The European Commission has published draft legislation that would make companies, and not individuals, responsible for proving that gig workers are not employees. Currently, gig workers such as those at Uber have to go to court to prove that they are employees, and are often denied employment benefits because of being misclassified as independent contractors. It is estimated that 5.5 million workers are misclassified in the European Union.
Individual Broadway performances are being cancelled due to COVID. Performances of shows such as Hamilton, Tina, and Ain't Too Proud have been cancelled because of positive COVID tests from cast or crew members, despite vaccine mandates and masking requirements. Patrons are still flocking to shows, however, and the number of cancellations have been minimal thanks to understudies.
In the U.K., the Music Venue Trust reports that audience numbers have declined by 23 percent due to Omicron fears. The 900 venues the Trust represents are losing 2 million pounds a week due to declining audiences. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that anyone testing positive for COVID must isolate for ten days, and patrons fear that catching COVID at performances could force them to be in isolation during the holidays.
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Bruce Springsteen has sold his entire catalog to Sony for an estimated $500 million. Sony will acquire both his master recordings and his publishing catalog.
Spider-Man: No Way Home beat expectations, grossing $253 million domestically in its opening weekend. That shatters pandemic box office records and places the movie opening as the third all-time best, behind only Avengers: Endgame and Avengers: Infinity War. Including international sales, the film earned $587.2 million globally in its first five days.
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The Metropolitan Opera will require COVID booster shots for all employees and audience members. The Met is the first organization to require boosters, and the policy will go into effect on January 17. Patrons will also be required to wear masks.
