Performances of “The Lion King” are canceled through Dec. 26 and “Six” will be dark through Dec. 28, the respective productions announced Tuesday.
The announcements follow the detection of breakthrough COVID-19 cases in the casts and crews. “Six” had previously canceled its Dec. 20 performance before announcing the prolonged hiatus.
The two newly suspended productions join a growing list of Broadway shows canceled through Christmas, a typically high-grossing period for the industry, due to the virus. With these additions, there are now nine productions out of 31 total on hiatus until next week, including Disney’s “Aladdin,” “Hamilton” and “Dear Evan Hansen.” “Skeleton Crew” has postponed its first preview to Dec. 27 after cases were discovered in that company.
“Waitress” and “Tina” also canceled several performances on Tuesday, with “Waitress” planning to resume on Dec. 23 and “Tina” on Dec. 25. “Mrs. Doubtfire,” the first show to announce an extended cancellation, was initially scheduled to resume performances Tuesday, but has canceled that show and is now planning to resume Wednesday, Dec. 22. “Come From Away” also canceled its Dec. 21 performance.
“Jagged Little Pill” said Monday that it had already ended its Broadway run due to cases in the company and the “extreme uncertainty” of the months ahead.
The onslaught of cancellations comes as New York City faces a surge in COVID-19 cases. The state reported 22,258 new cases Monday, with 3,760 in New York alone. Per Broadway League protocols, all Broadway company members must be vaccinated against COVID-19.
