Photo: Bruce Glikas/WireImage
A Thursday performance of Broadway’sMoulin Rouge! The Musicalwas canceled after audience members were seated due to a positive COVID-19 test.
Theatergoers at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre were “seated and waiting for the music to start” when the performance was canceled,Deadlinereported.
A rep for the production told PEOPLE on Friday in a statement that “last night’s performance ofMoulin Rouge! The Musicalwas canceled following a late-in-the-day positive test result in the company.”
Moulin Rouge!was scheduled for a 7 p.m. performance on Friday and will hold two performances Saturday: a 2 p.m. matinee and an 8 p.m. show.
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Moulin Rougeis the latest musical to cancel a performance due to the coronavirus. In the past week, multiple productions have called off shows,The New York Timesreported.
Tina,Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, andHamiltonall canceled previously scheduled performances, joining theMrs. Doubtfiremusical,Freestyle Love SupremeandAin’t Too Proudin canceling shows, per theTimes.
Broadway has a COVID-19vaccine mandatein place that requires all audience members, performers, backstage crew, and theatre staff to be vaccinated. Audience members must also wear masks while attending performances.
Producer Hunter Arnold told theTimes,“We have to accept that there is going to be some percentage of performances lost to this, referring to the coronavirus pandemic.
He added, “What’s happening is a challenge for all of us in the industry, because we’re in the business of gathering,” Mr. McCollum said. “We can’t pretend no one has COVID when they have COVID. I’m hoping this will be put into the level of the common cold in the future, but until then, we have to respect it fully.”
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Thursday’sMoulin Rouge!cancellation comes as New York City is seeing a spike in COVID-19 cases. The percentage of people testing positive for the virus doubled in three days, according toNBC New York.
Dr. Jay Varma, a health adviser to Mayor Bill de Blasio, said “we’ve never seen this before,” along with a graph of test results that he shared onTwitterThursday.
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source: people.com
