The new Broadway revival of “Gypsy” (which just opened to rave reviews) was forced to cancel performances on Dec. 23, 25, 26, and 27 due to illnesses within the company.
Audra McDonald, who leads the cast of “Gypsy” as Rose, had warned in a message on social media on Dec. 22 that a “nasty cold” was “racing through the Broadway community right now … including here at ‘Gypsy’ and including yours truly.” McDonald had originally made the post to explain that audience members may encounter actors sneezing, coughing, or having vocal difficulty due to illness.
Since “Gypsy” had just opened, the production likely did not have time to prepare a sufficient supply of understudies and swings to allow for performances to go on despite multiple illnesses within the company. As of Sunday morning, Dec. 29, the production had hoped to move forward with its scheduled matinee performance.
The cancellation was a chilling reminder of the Broadway climate in December 2021, when the Omicron variant resulted in a resurgence of COVID-19 infections among members of the theater community — causing many Broadway and Off-Broadway shows to cancel performances due to a lack of available performers and crew members. It could not have come at a worse time, considering that the industry had just reopened following the pandemic shutdown and the December holidays are considered the most financially lucrative time for many shows and performing arts companies.
The missed performances have also triggered memories of May 2023, when Bernadette Peters (who was starring in a critically-divisive revival of “Gypsy” at the time) soldiered on in performances despite illness. When I first saw that production, Peters struggled badly. When I caught the same production later that summer, Peters, in good health, delivered a stunning performance.
Sarah Hyland to join ‘The Great Gatsby’ as Daisy
“Modern Family” actress Sarah Hyland, who recently played Audrey in the Off-Broadway revival of “Little Shop of Horrors,” will take over the role of Daisy Buchanan in the Broadway musical adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” beginning Feb. 10.
Hyland will replace Eva Noblezada (“Hadestown”), who will play her final performance on Jan. 30. Jeremy Jordan will perform his final show as Jay Gatsby on Jan. 19, with Ryan McCartan stepping into the role on Jan. 21.
Compared to many other new musicals of 2024, “The Great Gatsby” has been notably successful at the box office so far.
‘Dead Outlaw’ will transfer to Broadway
“Dead Outlaw,” an unlikely musical comedy inspired by a true story about an early 20th-century criminal whose dead body somehow became mistaken for a dummy at carnival sideshows, will transfer to Broadway in the spring, beginning previews at the Longacre Theatre (currently home to “Swept Away”) on April 12.
The musical premiered Off-Broadway last spring at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre, where it garnered significant acclaim. It has the same creative team as the Tony Award-winning musical “The Band’s Visit,” including songwriter David Yazbek (who is joined by Erik Della Pena), playwright Itamar Moses, and director David Cromer.
Filmed version of ‘Suffs’ expected to air on PBS
Although “Suffs” will play its final performance on Jan. 5, a filmed version of the Broadway musical is expected to air on the PBS series “Great Performances” in the future.
As reported by Playbill.com, notices at the Music Box Theatre indicated that the production was filmed at performances earlier this month. “Suffs” dramatizes the suffragist movement that culminated in the passage of the 19th Amendment.
Shaina Taub, who wrote the songs and book (for which she won two Tony Awards), leads the cast in the role of Alice Paul.
