This week marks exactly one year since New York's entire theater industry was suddenly closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So many of the nearly 100,000 workers who make up the theater community have shown resilience in the face of adversity, and I talked to some of them about what they're most looking forward to as we head towards a potential reopening later this year.

"To me there's nothing more transporting than theater, and awe-inspiring and beautiful and challenging," said actor Debra Messing. "I just can't wait to go back."

"Part of the big idea here is to get New York artists doing the important work that they do again, and as many as possible. We cannot underestimate the devastation and we need to start again," said NY PopsUp Festival curator, Zack Winokur.

"I just want to see my people, you know what I mean? I really have love for them,” said Damani Brissett, a college student and usher at ‘Hamilton,’ on what he misses most about the theater community. “Like, there's a spirit to commuting to those theaters, to changing like Clark Kent downstairs in the lobby or wherever your locker room is and then suiting up a little bit. I want to feel that rhythm again. I want to hear, 'House is open!'"

"I think it's the audience that I miss so much," said Broadway legend Chita Rivera. "Knowing that you've touched them. You have touched people, and what are you without people?"

"Getting in a room with a bunch of other people in the dark and seeing life played out in a distilled way has the ability to bring catharsis and epiphany," said actor and director Tonya Pinkins. "It's not going to ever go away."

"I'm so excited for the old musicals to come back - 'The Book of Mormon' and 'Hamilton,' 'Lion King' - but I'm really thrilled for what I do believe is going to be a renaissance in theater," said actor Nikki M. James. "I think the stories that we're going to tell are going to be just incredible."

Finally, Broadway Inspirational Voices founder Michael McElroy summed up his feelings about Broadway's eventual return this way: "There's no question or doubt in my mind it will come back; it's just the how. How do we come back? And being a part of making sure we come back in a way that takes us into the next iteration of what we can be to audience members, to our community, to New York City and ultimately to the world because the world, they come to New York because there's nowhere else that you can have that experience that you have when you come to see a Broadway show."