the closed Apollo Theater in New York City

New York’s arts scene remains shut down indefinitely—can it evolve and survive?

From theater and dance to comedy and concerts, a world of culture tries to digitally reinvent itself.

The Apollo Theater in Harlem, like many historic entertainment landmarks in New York City,is closed temporarily due to the spread of COVID-19. More than 17,000 people in New York City have died from the novel coronavirus.

This story was produced in partnership with The Undefeated, an ESPN website that explores the intersection of race, culture, and sports. ESPN and National Geographic are both owned by The Walt Disney Company.

New York is a city of secular churches—and for three months the pews have been empty.

Yes, the city is home to famous sanctuaries like Riverside Church, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and Église St-Jean-Baptiste. But more than any other city in the world, New York is known for its thousands of theaters, museums, galleries, studios, concert halls, bars, and hole-in-the-wall performance spaces that create a cultural mecca for both artists and patrons alike.

Sure, Paris has the Louvre. London has the West End. Sydney boasts a world-famous concert hall, and Rio de Janeiro has the Theatro Municipal.

But New York—New York has everything. It’s got Carnegie Hall, and miles of subway platforms where buskers cut their teeth while harboring visions of grander stages. It’s

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