Hugh Jackman's The Music Man cancels more shows after the actor tests positive for COVID-19, sets new return

The show must go on! Next year, that is.

More performances of Broadway's The Music Man have been canceled at Winter Garden Theatre after headliner Hugh Jackman revealed that he tested positive for COVID-19 on social media on Tuesday.

Representatives previously confirmed to EW that all performances would be canceled through Jan. 1 with all tickets refundable or exchangeable, but the production confirmed on Twitter on Wednesday that the cancellation has been extended through Jan. 5.

The show will return on Jan. 6, coinciding with Jackman's return to the stage, the production confirmed on Wednesday. Jackman, who plays leading conman Harold Hill in the production, told theater-goers that he had mild cold-like symptoms in his video message shared on Twitter and Instagram.

"I just wanted you to hear it from me that I tested positive this morning for COVID," he said. "My symptoms are like a cold. I have a scratchy throat and a bit of a runny nose, but I'm fine. And I'm just gonna do everything I can to get better ASAP. And as soon as I'm cleared, I'll be back on stage, heading to River City."

The production previously canceled its Dec. 25 and Dec. 26 shows after leading lady Sutton Foster tested positive for coronavirus. A swing, fellow actress Kathy Voytko, replaced Sutton on the Christmas Eve production as Marian Paroo, garnering praise for stepping in last-minute with less than eight hours notice to prepare.

Prior to the curtain drop, Jackman told the crowd that Voytko found out she'd be replacing Sutton at noon and had her first rehearsal at 1 p.m. that day. "It's not only happening here at the Winter Garden, it's happening all over Broadway," he said in a Facebook video shared by actress Katherine Winter.

"This is a time we've never known," Jackman continued, referencing various show closures due to the Omicron variant. "We're in our fourth preview, we're all just sort of learning, so swings and understudies have not had a chance to learn."

Jackman added to a thunderous crowd, "So to all of these people here — the swings — and I'm emotional because it humbles me — their courage, their brilliance, their dedication, their talent. The swings, the understudies, they are the bedrock of Broadway."

Related content

• The Music Man cancels shows til January after Hugh Jackman tests positive for COVID-19
• Hugh Jackman praises Music Man actress who stepped into lead role at last moment
• See Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster in the first official photo from The Music Man revival