The Broadway musical “Mrs. Doubtfire,” which closed quickly final month as Omicron battered New York, introduced Friday that it might postpone its reopening till April 14, a month later than anticipated, to provide the theater economic system a bit extra time to rebound.
“The excellent news is that it seems just like the virus is calming down, however there are nonetheless numerous unknowns,” mentioned the present’s lead producer, Kevin McCollum. “It was simply clear that April was a greater time to open, given the developments with tourism, and excited about when households and teams will begin to really feel snug.”
The hiatus left the present’s solid, crew and musicians with out work (not less than at “Doubtfire”), however McCollum mentioned he thought it was one of the best ways to aim to protect their jobs long run. And on Friday, he mentioned he had invited your entire solid to return, and was hopeful that they might achieve this.
The musical, tailored from the favored 1993 movie, has traveled a bumpy highway: After an out-of-town run at fifth Avenue Theater in Seattle, it started previews on Broadway on March 9, 2020, simply three days earlier than the coronavirus pandemic pressured all theaters to shut. After a 19-month hiatus, the present resumed previews final October and opened Dec. 5, to combined critiques, simply as Omicron was inflicting instances to spike once more.
“If there was an award for worst timing for a producer, I’ll take that award,” McCollum mentioned. “My timing was horrible.”
However McCollum mentioned he believes that the present will work if given an opportunity, and that he’s dedicated to making an attempt to protect the roles of his firm, a lot of whom have been engaged on the present for a number of years.
“The best path would have been to say, ‘OK, we’re completed,’ however the present was telling us we’re not completed,” he mentioned. “We simply by no means received our sea legs due to Omicron.”
One extra benefit to reopening in April: Tony nominators and voters who didn’t catch the present earlier than it started its hiatus on Jan. 10 will now have one other likelihood to take action earlier than casting their ballots. (This 12 months’s Tony calendar has not but been introduced, however the season is anticipated to finish in late April, adopted by nominations, voting and an awards ceremony.)
“Mrs. Doubtfire” was written by Karey Kirkpatrick, Wayne Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, and directed by Jerry Zaks. A second manufacturing of the present is scheduled to start performances in Manchester, England, in September.
“Mrs. Doubtfire” was the primary of three Broadway exhibits to announce a short lived closing because the Omicron surge brought on audiences to dwindle — “To Kill a Mockingbird” closed on Jan. 16 and mentioned it might reopen at a unique theater on June 1, whereas “Woman From the North Nation” closed Jan. 23 and mentioned it hoped to reopen within the spring. (Six different exhibits closed for good.)
Unions representing actors and musicians didn’t instantly reply to requests for touch upon the “Mrs. Doubtfire” plans. D. Joseph Hartnett, the stagecraft division director on the Worldwide Alliance of Theatrical Stage Workers (IATSE), mentioned that his union, which represents stagehands, had not had but heard from the present and “presumes the manufacturing has and nonetheless is formally closed.”
