Winter storm shuts down East Coast movie theatres, Broadway shows

The blizzard blasting the eastern and southern U.S.hasshut down manylive performances and movie theatres.

All matinee and evening shows on Broadway in New York Cityhave been cancelled, including popular performances such as Disney's Aladdin and The Lion King.

"The safety and security of theatre-goers and employees is everyone's primary concern," said Charlotte St. Martin, Broadway Leaguepresident. "We expect normal operations to resume for tomorrow's Sunday matinees."

• State of emergency declared in 7 states as blizzard hammers U.S.

The blizzard and gale-force winds have forced seven states to declare a state of emergency.

The Kennedy Centerin Washington, D.C. has also cancelled its Saturdayperformances, which includedthe National Ballet of Canada's Wheeldon's TheWinter's Tale. Its website says conditions will be closely monitored to assess whether Sunday shows will go on as scheduled.

Movie theatres are also taking a hit because of the storm, which has forced millions of people to stay home and made travel treacherous. Theatres in New York, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pa., have closed their doors and sent employees home.

The Smithsonian Institution announced Friday that its museums in Washington, D.C., and the National Zoo would be closed because of the inclement weather.