What you should know
- “Aladdin” will resume on Tuesday after “new cases of COVID-19 were detected” in early October.
- The show and other Broadway performances reopened last month after about 18 months of closure due to the pandemic, but were forced to close on September 29 when COVID-19 cases were reported within the musical’s company.
- It was Broadway’s first COVID-19 cancellation since shows resumed with the Bruce Springsteen concert returning in July and “Pass Over” as the first play to debut in August.
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NEW YORK – The Broadway blockbuster “Aladdin” is hoping to keep COVID-19 in check as shows roll over for the second time.
Disney Theatrical Productions said performances and all shows will resume Tuesday after “additional cases of COVID-19 were detected” in early October.
The show and other Broadway performances reopened last month after about 18 months of closure due to the pandemic, but were forced to close on September 29 when COVID-19 cases were reported within the musical’s company. It restarted the next day, but then closed again shortly after. In many ways, the temporary shutdown proves that the tracking system is working.
“This 12-day hiatus gives the ‘Aladdin’ company ample time to make sure people with trailers recover, and any other potential advancements are identified before the ‘Aladdin’ cast reunites again,” Dr. Blythe Adamson, an epidemiologist with Disney Theatrical. Productions said in a statement.
So-called progressive infections are found in vaccinated people and tend to be much less dangerous than unvaccinated people.
Adamson said he believes that “these positive cases are likely related to a positive case exposure.” It has instituted daily PCR tests. The show promised to support “affected members of the ‘Aladdin’ company as they recover.”
“Aladdin,” a musical adaptation of the 1992 animated Aladdin film starring Robin Williams, opened on Broadway in March 2014 and has become one of its highest-grossing shows.
It was Broadway’s first COVID-19 cancellation since shows resumed with the Bruce Springsteen concert returning in July and “Pass Over” as the first play to debut in August.
The pandemic forced Broadway theaters to close abruptly on March 12, 2020, eliminating all shows and fighting the spring season. Several have rebooted, including the so-called big three of “Wicked,” “Hamilton” and “The Lion King.”
All tickets for canceled performances will be refunded at the original point of purchase.
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