New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said theatres on Broadway will fully reopen in September after going dark for more than a year due to the pandemic.
Mr Cuomo also announced that New York City baseball stadiums will give away tickets to those who agree to be vaccinated outside games and that separate seating areas will accommodate vaccinated and unvaccinated fans.
Broadway tickets will go on sale beginning on Thursday and theatres will be able to open at 100 per cent capacity, Mr Cuomo said in a Wednesday briefing.
"Broadway is [a] major part of our state's identity and economy, and we are thrilled that the curtains will rise again," he wrote.
Live theatre is one of the last sectors to come back after the pandemic because of the challenges of social distancing for actors onstage, crews backstage and audiences in cramped seating in old buildings.
While New York plans to lift most pandemic restrictions in two weeks, Broadway theatres need more time for rehearsals, marketing to draw crowds and other steps.
"Restarting Broadway is a complex endeavour," said Charlotte St Martin, president of the Broadway League. "Today's green light by the governor to put our shows on sale now for the fall is vital to our success."
Producers will work with state authorities on what safety measures will be required. It is possible theatres will mandate proof of a coronavirus vaccination for audience members, New York budget director Robert Mujica said.
Thousands of actors, dancers, musicians and backstage crew were thrown out of work when Broadway theatres closed in March 2020. Some shows, including the hit musicals Frozen and Mean Girls have said they will not return.
Thirty-one Broadway shows were in production when the shutdown began, including hits such as Hamilton, The Lion King and Wicked.
Each returning show will announce its reopening date in the coming weeks, the Broadway League said.
New York's Major League Baseball teams are doing their part to help encourage people to be vaccinated.
"If we can encourage more people to get vaccinated by giving away Yankees tickets, we are all in," the New York Yankees said in a statement, which added that the team's stadium has acted a vaccination site.
The offer of baseball tickets that are free of charge, which follows several other vaccine incentives promoted by state and local officials, comes with a plan to separate vaccinated from unvaccinated spectators starting May 19, Mr Cuomo said.
Baseball stadiums will be divided into sections where vaccinated fans can fill seats without restrictions, while those who have not been vaccinated will be relegated to areas where seating is limited to 33 per cent capacity, he said.
"So, if you're vaccinated, that's one category; you're unvaccinated, that's another category," Mr Cuomo clarified.
"For unvaccinated people, the six-foot distancing applies, with masks," he said, and added that fans would need to show proof of vaccination, including the state's "Excelsior Pass", to be admitted to the ballparks' unrestricted areas.
The pregame inoculation sites in New York will use the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, he said.
About 44 per cent of New York City's population has had at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose, while 33 per cent have been fully vaccinated.