Hurricane Irene: Broadway Shows Will Not Go Dark

On Friday afternoon, Disney canceled The Lion King and Mary Poppins performances scheduled for this weekend, along with other productions. For the full story, go here.

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As New York City readies for Hurricane Irene, that hasn't stopped Broadway shows from continue as scheduled.

The Broadway League said on Friday that all Broadway shows that are scheduled to play this weekend will go on as scheduled, the Associated Press reports. The Off-Broadway League also added that it had not been notified of any cancellations due to the impending storm.

The New York International Fringe Festival, however, canceled all of its festivities set to take place on Sunday, which included its closing night event. Early Friday afternoon, festival organizers issued a statement saying all of the shows set to take place on Saturday have also been canceled.

"Due to the necessity of shutting down subways as of noon on Saturday, as well as keeping the roads clear for those under mandatory evacuation orders, all Saturday and Sunday performances  of FringeNYC shows are cancelled," the statement read.

Hurricane Irene is expected to hit North Carolina on Saturday before moving its way up the East Coast, causing the National Weather Service to issue a hurricane watch for the Big Apple. The hurricane could hit near New York City by Sunday.

Hurricane Irene could potentially put a dent in the domestic box office this weekend, with the Washington D.C. area expected to have torrential rains and dangerous winds beginning Saturday. On Thursday, Mayor Bloomberg told city residents to be prepared to evacuate the city and ordered evacuations of nursing homes and five hospitals in low-lying areas on Friday. The subway system would also be shut down on Saturday. 

Distribution executives said that it would undoubtedly be a tough weekend in the box office, with major studios in less of a bind than the independents.

"I'd hate to be opening a movie now," said one studio executive.

Several events have been canceled due to the hurricane. The Afro-Punk Music Festival, set to take place Saturday and Sunday in Commodore Barry Park, was canceled after the city rescinded event permits.