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Thursday, September 30, 2021
Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ Cancels Broadway Performance Due To Covid
Deadline: Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway canceled tonight’s performance – the show’s first since reopening last night – after breakthrough Covid cases were detected within the musical’s company.
It is really sad that this happened the day after they opened. It was going to happen eventually though that someone who was vaccinated in the team of one of the Broadway shows was going to test positive, so I am not too surprised that it happened, just sad that it did. Seeing the show having to shut down because of positive COVID cases really makes me wonder if it was too soon. I have been wary to get so excited about Broadway reopening because it still does feel al little too soon for me. I really hope everyone affected is okay and recovers quickly and safely. I know that having the cancel a show is a lot of work and has a lot impact on the front of house staff and everyone else involved in the show. So, if shows are going to keep getting shut down and have to deal with this often because of breakthrough cases, maybe it is too soon to reopen.
Unfortunately with how many people are involved in making a Broadway show, it is not surprising to me that breakthrough cases were detected. I was actually surprised that this was the first Broadway production to have to cancel performances due to breakthrough cases. It’s good to see that all company members and audiences are required to be vaccinated, as vaccinated breakthrough cases are usually much less severe and it is less likely to spread in the first place. While it is sad that the shows will not be able to happen for (I am assuming) at least a few days, it is a necessary hiatus for the safety of everyone involved. Hopefully once the booster shot against Covid-19 is more available, we will see less breakthrough cases and Broadway productions will not be affected as much. The tweet mentions that company members will be provided “support” as they recover but I hope that includes financial support.
It is so saddening to hear about how much Broadway is struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic. To think that Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway was forced to close the day after it finally opened due to an outbreak of Covid amongst the cast is depressing. I really hope that everyone in the cast and audience is okay and wasn’t affected by this outbreak. I also have a personal connection with Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway as I worked on many of the costumes seen within the show while working at my job with Parsons Meares, before the pandemic hit. I am praying that Aladdin on Broadway dose not share the same fate as Frozen on Broadway and get shut down permanently due to the pandemic. I hope that with the new vaccination regulations and mandates on the actors and viewers of Broadway shows will help create a safe environment to enjoy theater. Part of me worries that Broadway is opening too soon, but then I realize that this shutdown of theater has been going on for far too long already, and that theater needs to open up just in a safe socially distanced manner.
This is a great example of what we should expect going forward. There is rigorous covid testing in place to make sure the cast and crew are healthy and once there has been a breakthrough case detected things are shut down. This allows them to do at least a quick test for everyone involved to see if there has been any exposure among the team. Once all members of the company have come back ok, the show can resume. Sure they lost one night of shows, which can be a lot, but it also can be used to show audiences and investors that returning to Broadway is something that is being handled seriously and with strict guidelines. While the same cannot be said for the audiences and their possible covid exposures, it does at least show that the people we ate paying to see will be safe enough. I wonder if the ticket holders have insurance on the tickets in the event of an evening closing, or if they were given a replacement ticket to a later showing.
I kind of didn't want to select this article because I didn't want to read about bad news like this. But honestly, breakthrough cases seem inevitable, at least at this point. I will say I find it impressive that they were able to resume cases literally the following night. The six tests a week also blows my mind, and I'm sure this has become a significant part of the budget. Also, even though Broadway really hasn't been open that long, there was the potential for so many more cases. As pessimistic as I feel about the pandemic, I don't really see Broadway shutting down in the same way again (at least from COVID). There were moments during the pandemic when I felt like it would never come back, but I think it was hard to picture any type of large gathering. While I think it's important to stay updated on all this news, I really hope this news continues to have a decreased presence in our lives as we all get healthier and safer.
5 comments:
It is really sad that this happened the day after they opened. It was going to happen eventually though that someone who was vaccinated in the team of one of the Broadway shows was going to test positive, so I am not too surprised that it happened, just sad that it did. Seeing the show having to shut down because of positive COVID cases really makes me wonder if it was too soon. I have been wary to get so excited about Broadway reopening because it still does feel al little too soon for me. I really hope everyone affected is okay and recovers quickly and safely. I know that having the cancel a show is a lot of work and has a lot impact on the front of house staff and everyone else involved in the show. So, if shows are going to keep getting shut down and have to deal with this often because of breakthrough cases, maybe it is too soon to reopen.
Unfortunately with how many people are involved in making a Broadway show, it is not surprising to me that breakthrough cases were detected. I was actually surprised that this was the first Broadway production to have to cancel performances due to breakthrough cases. It’s good to see that all company members and audiences are required to be vaccinated, as vaccinated breakthrough cases are usually much less severe and it is less likely to spread in the first place. While it is sad that the shows will not be able to happen for (I am assuming) at least a few days, it is a necessary hiatus for the safety of everyone involved. Hopefully once the booster shot against Covid-19 is more available, we will see less breakthrough cases and Broadway productions will not be affected as much. The tweet mentions that company members will be provided “support” as they recover but I hope that includes financial support.
It is so saddening to hear about how much Broadway is struggling with the Covid-19 pandemic. To think that Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway was forced to close the day after it finally opened due to an outbreak of Covid amongst the cast is depressing. I really hope that everyone in the cast and audience is okay and wasn’t affected by this outbreak. I also have a personal connection with Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway as I worked on many of the costumes seen within the show while working at my job with Parsons Meares, before the pandemic hit. I am praying that Aladdin on Broadway dose not share the same fate as Frozen on Broadway and get shut down permanently due to the pandemic. I hope that with the new vaccination regulations and mandates on the actors and viewers of Broadway shows will help create a safe environment to enjoy theater. Part of me worries that Broadway is opening too soon, but then I realize that this shutdown of theater has been going on for far too long already, and that theater needs to open up just in a safe socially distanced manner.
This is a great example of what we should expect going forward. There is rigorous covid testing in place to make sure the cast and crew are healthy and once there has been a breakthrough case detected things are shut down. This allows them to do at least a quick test for everyone involved to see if there has been any exposure among the team. Once all members of the company have come back ok, the show can resume. Sure they lost one night of shows, which can be a lot, but it also can be used to show audiences and investors that returning to Broadway is something that is being handled seriously and with strict guidelines. While the same cannot be said for the audiences and their possible covid exposures, it does at least show that the people we ate paying to see will be safe enough. I wonder if the ticket holders have insurance on the tickets in the event of an evening closing, or if they were given a replacement ticket to a later showing.
I kind of didn't want to select this article because I didn't want to read about bad news like this. But honestly, breakthrough cases seem inevitable, at least at this point. I will say I find it impressive that they were able to resume cases literally the following night. The six tests a week also blows my mind, and I'm sure this has become a significant part of the budget. Also, even though Broadway really hasn't been open that long, there was the potential for so many more cases. As pessimistic as I feel about the pandemic, I don't really see Broadway shutting down in the same way again (at least from COVID). There were moments during the pandemic when I felt like it would never come back, but I think it was hard to picture any type of large gathering. While I think it's important to stay updated on all this news, I really hope this news continues to have a decreased presence in our lives as we all get healthier and safer.
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