Several shows, both on and Off-Broadway, have canceled holiday performances or closed altogether because of surging COVID cases.
The Omicron variant has swept through the theater world, affecting Ain’t Too Proud, Freestyle Love Supreme, Hamilton, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge, Mrs. Doubtfire, Waitress, Thoughts of a Colored Man, Six, Hadestown, Aladdin, The Lion King, Dear Evan Hansen, the Rockettes’ Christmas show, Candace Bushnell’s one-woman show Is There Still Sex in the City? and Tina.
In Los Angeles, the production of A Christmas Carol starring Bradley Whitford has also closed (per the Wrap.)
Jagged Little Pill was the first show to announce an early closure “due to the detection of multiple positive COVID-19 cases within the company,” the show’s producers said in a statement. Waitress and Thoughts of a Colored Man are the latest to announce COVID-mandated early closures.
Waitress, the Sara Bareilles–scored musical, was set to reopen after canceling performances on December 21 but instead will end its run early. “It has been such an honor to bring Waitress to Broadway. We feel so blessed to have been able to continue playing when Broadway returned in September of this year,” producer Barry Weissler said in a statement. “We are heartbroken that the COVID virus won’t allow us to finish our glorious scheduled run.”
Thoughts of a Colored Man is ending its historic run as the first show starring, written, directed, and lead produced by Black men. Its last show was on December 22. In a statement obtained by Entertainment Weekly, the show’s producers called the closure “not the outcome we had hoped for.” However, they “remain undeterred, unflinching, and unstoppable. We have never been prouder to be theater-makers than at this very moment.”
As of now, both The Lion King and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child plan to return to performances starting December 28.
Hamilton canceled its Christmas week of performances and tweeted that it “will have more information on upcoming performances as soon as possible.”
Aladdin tweeted that performances are set to resume on December 29. MJ, the Michael Jackson musical, also announced it would not resume previews until December 29.
Six is scheduled to resume performances on January 2. All shows are refunding canceled performances at their point of purchase.
The Music Man has canceled performances until January 1 as both leads, Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster have tested positive for COVID-19. The show’s Christmas and Boxing Day shows were initially canceled due to breakthrough cases but the cancelation has been extended until January 1. Jackman posted a video to Instagram on December 28 that he has “mild symptoms and looking forward to getting back on stage ASAP!” He previously praised swing performer Kathy Voytko for filling in with aplomb. The video was shared widely on social media.
Company had to cancel performances on December 26 due to illnesses within the cast and crew. Patti Lupone tweeted that she had the rotavirus and not COVID and that her “toilet can confirm this.” The show resumed performances on December 28.
Meanwhile, Moulin Rouge hopes to return on December 29 after canceling a day of performances due to “non-COVID related illness.”
