The producers released a statement on Monday, noting that they made the "difficult decision" to close in order to prioritize the health and safety of cast and crew.
Jagged Little Pill is closing its curtain for good.
The Broadway musical of Alanis Morissette rock songs, which is directed by Diane Paulus and has won Tony and Grammy Awards, had previously canceled certain performances heading into the Christmas week. Now, the production will not reopen at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York, the producers said in a statement on Monday.
Producers Vivek J. Tiwary, Arvind Ethan David and Eva Price said that the “drastic turn of events this week with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant has, once again, changed everything. We are dismayed by what appears to be another substantial public health crisis, and – due to the detection of multiple positive Covid-19 cases within the company – need to prioritize the health and safety of the cast, crew, and entire team working on Jagged Little Pill. 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.”
Those who previously purchased tickets will be be able to get them refunded.
“We are so proud of this extraordinary show and this extraordinary company,” the statement read, “who every night in difficult circumstances, have told the Jagged Little Pill story. “This show is about healing, human connection, and catharsis, and has been a salve to audiences, and to all of us, throughout these trying times.”
The producers went on to indicate they “hope and intend to find a way to bring this vibrant and vitalizing musical back to the Broadway stage” in the future. For now, the performance on Dec. 17 marks the show’s final outing.
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
In September, Jagged Little Pill producers responded to claims made from a former cast member who alleged mistreatment and discrimination. An investigation into the issue was raised, as well as an external review of the production’s policies and procedures. It is unclear whether this will be fully resolved amid the show’s cancelation.
Due to the rise of the Omicron variant and surge in cases nationwide, a number of live entertainment productions have been canceled or postponed through Christmas in Los Angeles, London and New York includingHamilton and Aladdin.
In response to the public health crisis, Broadway League president Charlotte St. Martin noted that each show is taking a varied approach to canceling performances, and that there remains optimism about the holiday season.
“We’re very aggressive in our outreach of saying: we’re not closing,” St. Martin emphasized. “Yes, some shows are closing. One day we had five closings, and three of them turned out to be false positives. We did have more closings on Saturday — I think 11. But that still means we had 21 shows performing. We rarely have very many Monday night performances, but speaking to our holiday schedule, tonight there are 13.”
Currently, there are no plans, St. Martin notes, to shut down Broadway entirely. “We are paying serious attention to the protocols.”