<p>A power outage gripped New York's Manhattan on Saturday, sending Broadway theatres plunging into darkness, subways grinding to a halt and flicking off billboards in Times Square.</p>

<p>About 42,000 customers lost electricity in the early evening, according to the Con Edison utility.</p>

<p>Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Twitter that the outage was caused by a "manhole fire," but later told CNN it was under investigation.</p>

<p>"This appears to be something that just went wrong in the way that they transmit power from one part of the city to another to address demand," de Blasio said.</p>

<p>On social media, dozens of users posted photos of subway stations bathed in darkness.</p>

<p>"While Con Edison works to restore power in Manhattan, we encourage everyone to avoid below-ground subway stations," New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority said on Twitter.</p>

<p>Firefighters said they were responding to numerous requests for help, particularly from people trapped in elevators.</p>

<p>New Yorkers took Saturday's outage in stride, with passersby standing in intersections to direct traffic and a disrupted Carnegie Hall concert continuing in the street.</p>

<p>The cut affected the western chunk of Manhattan, particularly the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood and the Broadway theatre district.</p>

<p>It took place on the anniversary of the 1977 "Blackout" power cut that affected virtually the entirety of New York in the midst of an economic crisis.</p>

<p>Looting and vandalism then broke out, affecting more than a thousand businesses.</p>

<p>Twenty-five hours and several hundred arrests later, the lights came back on.</p>


A power outage gripped New York's Manhattan on Saturday, sending Broadway theatres plunging into darkness, subways grinding to a halt and flicking off billboards in Times Square.

A power outage gripped New York's Manhattan on Saturday, sending Broadway theatres plunging into darkness, subways grinding to a halt and flicking off billboards in Times Square. About 42,000 customers lost electricity in the early evening, according to the Con Edison utility. Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Twitter that the outage was caused by a "manhole fire," but later told CNN it was under investigation. "This appears to be something that just went wrong in the way that they transmit power from one part of the city to another to address demand," de Blasio said. On social media, dozens of users posted photos of subway stations bathed in darkness. "While Con Edison works to restore power in Manhattan, we encourage everyone to avoid below-ground subway stations," New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority said on Twitter. Firefighters said they were responding to numerous requests for help, particularly from people trapped in elevators. New Yorkers took Saturday's outage in stride, with passersby standing in intersections to direct traffic and a disrupted Carnegie Hall concert continuing in the street. The cut affected the western chunk of Manhattan, particularly the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood and the Broadway theatre district. It took place on the anniversary of the 1977 "Blackout" power cut that affected virtually the entirety of New York in the midst of an economic crisis. Looting and vandalism then broke out, affecting more than a thousand businesses. Twenty-five hours and several hundred arrests later, the lights came back on.

Manhattan plunges into darkness as 42,000 customers suffer power outage

<p>When a massive blackout plunged much of Manhattan into darkness on Saturday evening, a choir and the casts of Broadway musicals entertained tourists with impromptu performances in the street.<br />
<br />
The outages struck at around 7 p.m, just as many shows were starting at theatres in Midtown and at the Lincoln Center Plaza on New York City's Upper West Side.<br />
<br />
With subway stations and traffic lights suddenly dark, thousands of people spilt outside on a hot summer's night.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Choir singing "I believe in Christ" during <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/blackout?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#blackout</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYCblackout?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NYCblackout</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Christ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Christ</a> <a href="https://t.co/YJTB8kkxu9">pic.twitter.com/YJTB8kkxu9</a></p>
— Tony Mecham (@TonyMecham) <a href="https://twitter.com/TonyMecham/status/1150273740816683009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Some were surprised by what they found, including writer Briallen Hopper, who had been trapped on a subway train for an hour.<br />
<br />
"I guess this is what they call a New York moment," she wrote on Twitter with a video of a choir singing at sunset.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
"I emerged to see dark restaurants &amp; traffic lights, civilians directing traffic, &amp; an evacuated Carnegie Hall concert happening in the street."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I guess this is what they call a New York moment. After being trapped on the F for an hour because of the power outage I emerged to see dark restaurants &amp; traffic lights, civilians directing traffic, &amp; an evacuated Carnegie Hall concert happening in the street. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nyc?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nyc</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Blackout?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Blackout</a> <a href="https://t.co/3p9UWtRrel">pic.twitter.com/3p9UWtRrel</a></p>
— Briallen Hopper (@briallenhopper) <a href="https://twitter.com/briallenhopper/status/1150198299254767616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Another Twitter user, Caryn Ross, agreed, posting a video of the street concert by the Millennial Choirs and Orchestras with the hashtag #BeautifulSoundsDuringBlackout: "Now this is what turning lemons into lemonade is about!" she wrote.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Now this is what turning lemons into lemonade is all about! We can hear singing from the streets below...the entire <a href="https://twitter.com/carnegiehall?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@carnegiehall</a> choir including conductor are putting on an impromptu concert by singing outside during the blackout! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NYCBlackout?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NYCBlackout</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BeautifulSoundsDuringBlackout?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BeautifulSoundsDuringBlackout</a> <a href="https://t.co/ll5ocnGYvc">pic.twitter.com/ll5ocnGYvc</a></p>
— Caryn Ross (@SuperSassyMama) <a href="https://twitter.com/SuperSassyMama/status/1150193426618572801?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>Also unexpected were scenes of multiple civilians who stepped into always-busy intersections to help direct traffic snarled by the lack of traffic lights.<br />
<br />
One middle-aged man in shorts and a red tank-top managed the flow of vehicles at one junction for at least 45 minutes, drawing plaudits on social media.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
In a photo on Twitter taken after darkness fell, civilians were&nbsp;seen directing traffic in the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood with a toy lightsabers.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Directing traffic with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/lightsabers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#lightsabers</a> during the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/nyc?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#nyc</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/blackout?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#blackout</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/blackoutnyc?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#blackoutnyc</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/maytheforcebewithyou?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#maytheforcebewithyou</a> <a href="https://t.co/nE8HPmz1tF">pic.twitter.com/nE8HPmz1tF</a></p>
— Pamela Chasek (@paminnyc) <a href="https://twitter.com/paminnyc/status/1150234152685441026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>At Madison Square Garden, the blackout put a sudden stop to a Jennifer Lopez concert, plunging the arena into darkness.<br />
<br />
"I am obviously heartbroken and devastated," Bronx native Lopez said in a video clip she sent in a Twitter post for her fans. "I love you. I am so sorry this happened in the middle of our moment, at our show"</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Devastated and heartbroken that I can’t perform for all of you tonight. We will make this up to you, I promise! I love you!! ❤️❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ItsMyPartyTour?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ItsMyPartyTour</a> <a href="https://t.co/PZhFoPkeeM">pic.twitter.com/PZhFoPkeeM</a></p>
— Jennifer Lopez (@JLo) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLo/status/1150222803863404544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>All Broadway theatres were closed due to the blackout except for the Winter Garden Theater, Nederlander Theater, and Lyceum Theatre, authorities said.<br />
<br />
But among those who entertained theatre goers with off-the-cuff performances nonetheless were the casts of the musicals 'Waitress',&nbsp;'Hadestown',&nbsp;'Come From Away',&nbsp;and 'Rock Of Ages'.</p>

<p>Carnegie Hall was having a concert that was moved outside:</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">New York having a New York moment. New York had a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/blackout?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#blackout</a> affecting 42,000 people in midtown Manhattan.<br />
<br />
Carnegie Hall was having a concert that was moved outside. The seats were about $1000. <a href="https://t.co/PMQWU2Te55">pic.twitter.com/PMQWU2Te55</a></p>
— Ponce’sPoint (@PoncesPoint) <a href="https://twitter.com/PoncesPoint/status/1150260282016579584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<p>By midnight, power had been restored to most of the customers who had lost it.&nbsp;Shouts of celebration could be heard in parts of Manhattan as power was restored, bringing lights and air conditioners back to life.</p>


When a massive blackout plunged much of Manhattan into darkness on Saturday evening, a choir and the casts of Broadway musicals entertained tourists with impromptu performances in the street.

When a massive blackout plunged much of Manhattan into darkness on Saturday evening, a choir and the casts of Broadway musicals entertained tourists with impromptu performances in the street. The outages struck at around 7 p.m, just as many shows were starting at theatres in Midtown and at the Lincoln Center Plaza on New York City's Upper West Side. With subway stations and traffic lights suddenly dark, thousands of people spilt outside on a hot summer's night. Choir singing "I believe in Christ" during #blackout #NYCblackout #Christ pic.twitter.com/YJTB8kkxu9 — Tony Mecham (@TonyMecham) July 14, 2019 × Some were surprised by what they found, including writer Briallen Hopper, who had been trapped on a subway train for an hour. "I guess this is what they call a New York moment," she wrote on Twitter with a video of a choir singing at sunset. "I emerged to see dark restaurants & traffic lights, civilians directing traffic, & an evacuated Carnegie Hall concert happening in the street." I guess this is what they call a New York moment. After being trapped on the F for an hour because of the power outage I emerged to see dark restaurants & traffic lights, civilians directing traffic, & an evacuated Carnegie Hall concert happening in the street. #nyc #Blackout pic.twitter.com/3p9UWtRrel — Briallen Hopper (@briallenhopper) July 14, 2019 × Another Twitter user, Caryn Ross, agreed, posting a video of the street concert by the Millennial Choirs and Orchestras with the hashtag #BeautifulSoundsDuringBlackout: "Now this is what turning lemons into lemonade is about!" she wrote. Now this is what turning lemons into lemonade is all about! We can hear singing from the streets below...the entire @carnegiehall choir including conductor are putting on an impromptu concert by singing outside during the blackout! #NYCBlackout #BeautifulSoundsDuringBlackout pic.twitter.com/ll5ocnGYvc — Caryn Ross (@SuperSassyMama) July 14, 2019 × Also unexpected were scenes of multiple civilians who stepped into always-busy intersections to help direct traffic snarled by the lack of traffic lights. One middle-aged man in shorts and a red tank-top managed the flow of vehicles at one junction for at least 45 minutes, drawing plaudits on social media. In a photo on Twitter taken after darkness fell, civilians were seen directing traffic in the Hell's Kitchen neighbourhood with a toy lightsabers. Directing traffic with #lightsabers during the #nyc #blackout #blackoutnyc #maytheforcebewithyou pic.twitter.com/nE8HPmz1tF — Pamela Chasek (@paminnyc) July 14, 2019 × At Madison Square Garden, the blackout put a sudden stop to a Jennifer Lopez concert, plunging the arena into darkness. "I am obviously heartbroken and devastated," Bronx native Lopez said in a video clip she sent in a Twitter post for her fans. "I love you. I am so sorry this happened in the middle of our moment, at our show" Devastated and heartbroken that I can’t perform for all of you tonight. We will make this up to you, I promise! I love you!! ❤️❤️ #ItsMyPartyTour pic.twitter.com/PZhFoPkeeM — Jennifer Lopez (@JLo) July 14, 2019 × All Broadway theatres were closed due to the blackout except for the Winter Garden Theater, Nederlander Theater, and Lyceum Theatre, authorities said. But among those who entertained theatre goers with off-the-cuff performances nonetheless were the casts of the musicals 'Waitress', 'Hadestown', 'Come From Away', and 'Rock Of Ages'. Carnegie Hall was having a concert that was moved outside: New York having a New York moment. New York had a #blackout affecting 42,000 people in midtown Manhattan. Carnegie Hall was having a concert that was moved outside. The seats were about $1000. pic.twitter.com/PMQWU2Te55 — Ponce’sPoint (@PoncesPoint) July 14, 2019 × By midnight, power had been restored to most of the customers who had lost it. Shouts of celebration could be heard in parts of Manhattan as power was restored, bringing lights and air conditioners back to life.

Broadway casts, choir perform in the street during a blackout in Manhattan

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Manhattan plunges into darkness as 42,000 customers suffer power outage

Broadway casts, choir perform in the street during a blackout in Manhattan