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CNN Live At Daybreak

Spirit of America: New York Tourism Suffering

Aired September 24, 2001 - 07:43   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: Before the World Trade Center towers were built back in the mid-1970s, the Empire State Building was the tallest building in the Big Apple. Now, due to the tragic events of September 11, it merits that distinction again.

Let's check in with CNN's Michael Okwu, who is standing by at the Empire State Building. I guess on a normal day you'd have a commanding view of the city. You're kind of fogged in up there today, Michael.

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You said it, Paula.

This is the 86th floor of the Empire State Building, the observation deck, and you can see or we used to be able to see on much more clearer days and certainly when the twin towers actually stood there, this is where you would have been able to see them. And it was a commanding and a very beautiful view.

This is a site that you have seen countless times in movies. It is essentially one of the epicenters for tourists here. They come here every year. But there have not been too many tourists since the attack on September 11.

Hotel rates are down. Occupancy rates are down by some 30 percent. And, of course, the industry of Broadway has been hit.

I am joined now by some insiders in Broadway. This is Jed Bernstein. You are the head of the League of American Theatres & Producers.

JED BERNSTEIN, AMERICAN LEAGUE THEATRES & PRODUCERS: I am.

HEMMER: And Burke Moses, who, of course, is one of the lead actors in "Kiss Me Kate."

BURKE MOSES, "ACTOR, "KISS ME KATE": Good morning.

OKWU: Tell me, why did the attack hurt Broadway so profoundly? I understand that about four shows at least are going to be closing as a direct result.

BERNSTEIN: Well, September is a soft month for Broadway to begin with and the tourist business has basically vanished in New York. Two weeks ago, business was off about 75 percent. I think this past week things have gotten better considerably, though.

OKWU: That's an interesting point, things are getting better. I've talked to people in the past week who say that they are starting to go to Broadway. And, in fact, they've said -- one friend of mine told me that they were at a play the other night and it was absolutely packed. Is that because of the mayor's pleas to the public to return back to normalcy? What is that?

BERNSTEIN: Well, I think the mayor has been a big star for us. He really has been promoting and people are getting past the logistical obstacles of getting to Broadway. Public transportation is back and now the psychology of being with a group together listening to a story is starting to appeal to people.

OKWU: Now, you did a very interesting thing, Burke. You and the rest of the cast and the crew, you all agreed to take 25 pay cuts in order to keep "Kiss Me Kate" running. And you went much further than that. Just tell us what you did.

MOSES: Well, the 25 percent pay cut was something that a few shows had put together with the League of Producers. And for our show it just didn't look like enough. We had so many cancellations, future cancellations of group theatre events, the tour buses that come into town.

And they posted our notice because the numbers just didn't add up and our show just didn't want to go down. So one of our carpenters named Joe Marr (ph) thought of this idea that perhaps we could give a little more by buying tickets to our own show and then giving those tickets out to the emergency services of New York and the people who need a little music and laughter. And that would make the pay reduction up to 50 percent, which kept it open. And Roger Berlind and Roger Horschauer (ph), our producers, kindly went along and it was a moment out of a Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney movie.

BERNSTEIN: That's true.

MOSES: It was lovely.

OKWU: Well, I should mention, Paula, that there are other shows that are actually in jeopardy and you would be surprised to hear some of them -- "Les Miserables" among them, "Rent" among them. It's interesting, these guys are rescue workers in their own way -- Paula.

ZAHN: All right, Michael, thanks so much.

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