Stagehand dies after falling from scaffolding inside Broadway theatre

Man was taking down props from Beetlejuice in preparation for The Music Man in 2021

A stagehand has died after falling from the scaffolding inside of a Broadway theatre.

At around 9:40am on Thursday, a 54-year-old man fell 50 feet from scaffolding at the Winter Garden Theatre on 7th Avenue in New York City, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD).

The police have not yet released the identity of the man, but confirmed that he was taking down props from Beetlejuice, in preparation for the Hugh Jackman starring The Music Man in 2021.

A 38-year-old theatre porter named Mike, told the New York Post that he was in the building when the incident occurred.

“I was cleaning up under the stage when I heard a loud noise. It was right above me. It sounded like a bomb. It scared me. I ran up the steps to what it was,” he said.

He continued: “I said, ‘Oh my God!’ My heart started pounding. He was on his back. He had one shoe on.

“He wasn’t wearing a helmet. I don’t know if it came off when he fell. Stagehands always wear helmets.”

Mike added: “The back of his head was cracked open. There was a lot of blood on the stage.”

The 54-year-old was taken to the St Luke’s Roosevelt Hospital Centre, but died shortly after, according to the authorities.

All Broadway theatres were closed in March after New York City became the epicentre for Covid-19 in the US, and their doors will remain shut until at least May 2021.