Masks, COVID vaccines will no longer be required for Broadway shows, Colorado Ballet, opera and more

Masks and proof of vaccination will no longer be required at shows from Denver’s biggest performing arts groups, the companies announced Monday morning.

Leaders at Colorado Ballet, Colorado Symphony, Opera Colorado and Denver Center for the Performing Arts made the decisions in response to low COVID-19 positivity levels, officials wrote in a series of coordinated press statements. Each company will begin its policy on a different date this month.

The decisions were made with guidance from local, state and federal officials, and the residents of the city-owned Denver Performing Arts Complex will “continually monitor CDC, state and local health requirements and make adjustments as necessary.” In addition, officials wrote: “Individual touring productions may have their own health and safety requirements.”

Opera Colorado and Colorado Symphony’s requirements will lift on March 14, followed by Colorado Ballet on March 22 and Denver Center on March 28. Students also no longer need to show proof of vaccination or wear masks during classes.

While these companies — all of them residents at downtown’s Denver Performing Arts Complex — are making face coverings optional, “we ask our guests to respect individuals who choose to wear masks as a precaution,” according to a Denver Center statement, and stay home if they’re feeling unwell.

Indoor, seated public performances have been among the last to return to pre-pandemic culture amid the country’s swift return to mask-free policies in recent weeks, prompted by the lifting of state and city mandates. Concert venues, comedy clubs, art galleries, museums, movie theaters and other businesses relaxed their requirements weeks ago, and just last week, the Paramount Theatre and Ball Arena leaders said they’re lifting their COVID-19 entry protocols.