With three cast members testing positive for COVID and only two understudies available, Keenan Scott II grabbed his script for Thoughts of a Colored Man and decided to go onstage himself. (Alas, after the following night's performance, the run was cancelled anyway.) - Playbill
"Of course I wanted to do this. The biggest reason to say no is, why would you ever put yourself in a position to be compared to Lily Tomlin? But you hear Leigh talk about it and you start tearing up." - The New York Times
Their rules require all visitors to be fully vaccinated while on-site (excluding those under 16 years), and to wear masks while in the theatres and indoor spaces (except when eating and drinking and excluding those under 12 years). - ArtsHub
The larger issue is the years-long attempt by (mostly conservative) federal and state governments to make funding of arts groups contingent on corporate-style board governance rather than leaving control in the hands of artists. - ArtsHub (Australia)
Box office grosses are down by one quarter just from the previous week by nearly one half from Christmas week in 2019, the last one before the pandemic. - The New York Times
Long Wharf Theater in New Haven has commissioned Mildred Ruiz-Sapp and Steven Sapp of the company Universes to create a musical, titled Maria, that will see the heroine return to the island after her boyfriend Tony's murder. - Forbes
"Yes, some shows are closing. we have absolutely no plans to shut down. We are paying serious attention to the protocols. The other 20 to 30 shows continue to perform because we're following the protocols that we set up, and it shows they're working." - The Hollywood Reporter
No one could pretend that we’re back to normal yet. There likely is no going back — and after a year of overdue cultural reckonings, that may be for the best. - Los Angeles Times
Maybe not, but the performers are eager not to replicate last year's cancellations and lack of revenue. And yet ... a thousand screaming children in the audience? Well, technology helps. - BBC
"We have to trust that most people no longer venture out while sick, that they are not manufacturing fake proof of vaccination, that they are careful and considerate with their health in the course of their daily lives." It's a tall ask. - Los Angeles Times
The COVID-caused cancellation comes at an terrible time for the performers and staff. Many other shows are canceling for the weekend or week as well. In November, the NYT published an article about the workers' worries about Radio City's COVID-19 protocol. - The New York Times
"The show sold a bit below their historical average—which the company anticipated, not least because of the rising concern around yet another COVID variant—but streaming tickets wound up accounting for 28 percent of their box office revenue and 33 percent of the overall number of tickets sold. - American Theatre
After five years, Paige Price will depart at the end of this season, having led the company through a difficult period that included a financial crisis and temporary shutdown even before the COVID crisis. - American Theatre
"The coronavirus pandemic has upended the theater industry's longstanding 'show must go on' philosophy, supplanting it with a safety-first strategy. The result: a raft of cancellations unlike any in history." - The New York Times
