10. Hurricane Sandy


Blackout during Hurricane Sandy, from a video by Jeff Seal

In October and November 2012, Hurricane Sandy devastated the New York area and caused chaos and disarray throughout the country. Broadway shut its doors on the evening October 28 and remained closed until October 31. By the night of October 28, the subway system had already begun to shut down, and although most Broadway shows have no Monday performances, the storm hit New York that night.
By Tuesday, Broadway was still dark, but transportation began to slowly start up again. By Wednesday, most shows resumed performances despite massive traffic delays and only a few bus and subway routes open. A handful of shows like The Performers and Scandalous closed after only a couple of weeks.