A COVID-19 outbreak among theater performers has caused Broadway and London's West End to cancel shows and add new restrictions for audiences attending shows.
On Wednesday, Broadway had canceled performances in five out of their 32 shows. Hamilton halted performances until Friday night and the newly opened Mrs. Doubtfire, has been shut down since Sunday but plans to resume on Tuesday.
Other Broadway shows who canceled performances on Wednesday included Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Ain't Too Proud, Tina and Freestyle Love Supreme.
New York officials added new restrictions for audience members who still plan to attend shows. Children aged 5 to 11 who are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine must show proof of having at least one dose prior to two weeks before the show.
If their first dose is less than two weeks beforehand they must also provide a negative test result. Additionally, children need to be accompanied by a vaccinated adult in order to enter the show.
The West End also canceled several performances after an outbreak of COVID-19 infections in London from the Omicron variant. Some of the shows that canceled performances included Hamilton, The Lion King and Matilda the Musical.
London also added new restrictions for audience members. People now have to provide a negative COVID-19 test to enter or show that they're fully vaccinated. The show Cabaret took it a step further by requiring everyone to have a negative covid test, regardless of their vaccination status.
"At the end of the day, we'll follow the science, and the science will say, 'You need to shut down this performance,'" Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin told the Associated Press on Thursday. "We anticipated that because they were telling us all along that if more people didn't get their shots, that new variants would arrive and new variants would have cases. And guess what? It's called Omicron."
"We still just had five of 32 shows with a canceled performance yesterday, which says the other 27 were working and the protocols work," said St. Martin, who noted that many shows have daily staff testing.
"If somebody tests positive, even if it's a false positive, they're not allowed to go on and potentially infect everyone else. That should be a reason for safety and comfort, for not only the community, but our theatergoers."
Mary McColl, executive director of Actors' Equity Association, which represents actors and stage managers, said the cancellation of shows meant that Broadway producers are taking cases seriously and acting appropriately.
"The fact that performances are being paused shows that the producers and the unions are staying vigilant," McColl said in a statement. "That's what the safety protocols are there to be in place for, and this shows that they're working."
During the more than 18 months that Broadway was closed, many theaters adjusted, adding rigorous personal testing and installing portable air fans and air filters with MERV-13 or HEPA technology. But old theaters are uniquely risky when it comes to transmission, with narrow backstage spaces and staff that often crowd. St. Martin said a booster campaign is being worked on.
It's a big blow to the theater sector in both New York City and London, which have only recently reemerged after more than a year of lockdown and counts on the holiday season for a big chunk of their incomes.
Additional U.K. shows Life of Pi, and Come from Away canceled one or more performances this week because of COVID-19 outbreaks. Others have gone further: The National Theatre has pulled the plug on Hex and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time for the next two weeks "due to company illness."
The Donmar Warehouse has canceled performances of Force Majeure, about an avalanche and its consequences, until December 29 after several members of the company tested positive.
"It is sadly ironic that we must cancel performances of this brilliantly funny show titled Force Majeure because of a...force majeure event," said artistic director Michael Longhurst.
Shows that remain open fear audiences will stay away after public health authorities warned people to cut back on socializing to help slow the spread of Omicron.
And the Metropolitan Opera is requiring the audience and employees to receive COVID-19 booster shots for entry starting January 17. The company said anyone not yet eligible to receive a booster shot will be allowed a two-week grace period after they become eligible.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
