Hugh Jackman has revealed that he has tested positive for COVID-19 thus will be unable to perform on Broadway play The Music Man for the time being.
The 53-year-old talented Australian actor took to Twitter to share a video of himself on Tuesday morning making the announcement.
He captioned it: ‘Just wanted you to hear it from me. I tested positive for covid. Mild symptoms and as soon as I’m cleared … looking forward to getting back to The Winter Garden! @MusicManBway’
This comes as Broadway has been hit particularly hard by a surge in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant, with popular plays like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hamilton, and MJ The Musical all canceling upcoming shows due to the outbreak.
Dear Evan Hansen, Aladdin, Ain’t Too Proud, and Skeleton Crew also shuttered performances until after Christmas due to positive Covid cases among actors and stagehands.
But despite the cancellations, Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin said that curtains are not down on Broadway.
‘We have absolutely no plans to shut down,’ she told The Hollywood Reporter. ‘We are paying serious attention to the protocols.
‘The other 20 to 30 shows continue to perform because we’re following the protocols that we set up, and it shows they’re working.’
Mary McColl, executive director of the Actors’ Equity Association, which represents actors and stage managers, said the cancellation of shows means that Broadway producers are taking cases seriously and acting appropriately.
St. Martin told the Hollywood Reporter that crews on shows are getting tested and that cast and audience safety is a priority.
‘But our number one priority is safety and security and, if the show is opening, we believe that we have the correct information that says it is safe to open for the cast, the crew, and the audience,’ she added. ‘If we don’t feel it’s safe, we don’t perform that day.’
