“Jagged Little Pill” has closed on Broadway. After announcing the cancellation of performances on Saturday due to positive COVID-19 tests among the production, the musical has determined that it will not reopen at N.Y.’s Broadhurst Theater, citing “the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.”
“The drastic turn of events this week with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant has, once again, changed everything,” producers Vivek J. Tiwary, Arvind Ethan David and Eva Price wrote in an official statement. “In light of the extreme uncertainty ahead of us this winter, and forced to choose between continuing performances and protecting our company, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our doors.”
The producers’ joint statement continues by suggesting that new productions of the musical will be announced in 2022, with a return to Broadway potentially in the cards. However, as the situation currently stands, the production has determined that its final Broadway performance took place on Dec. 17.
JAGGED LITTLE PILL played its final Broadway performance on December 17, 2021. For the tremendous honor and privilege of sharing this incredible experience – thank u. 💙 pic.twitter.com/oTyW5fIHqW
— Jagged Little Pill (@jaggedmusical) December 21, 2021
“Jagged Little Pill,” a rock musical that drew from the songs of Alanis Morissette, is the first Broadway production to officially topple as a result of a reignited surge of COVID-19 and its more transmissible Omicron variant. Several other productions have temporarily shuttered due to the detection of COVID-19 among their company, with “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Chicago,” “MJ The Musical” “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” and “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” among the slew of shows suspending operations.
Broadway theaters had been closed for more than a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and had finally begun to reopen in the late summer. It remains to be seen if other productions will be forced to permanently close due to the spread of Omicron.