Ontario theatres cancel shows as new restrictions to combat Omicron variant take effect
Global News
A wave of show cancellations is rippling through Ontario as production companies contend with a rise in COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant.
TORONTO — A wave of show cancellations is rippling through Toronto’s theatre district and beyond as Ontario production companies contend with a rise in COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant.
Mirvish Productions announced Sunday that the North American premiere of its eagerly anticipated Tom Stoppard play “Leopoldstadt” in early 2022 was being pulled from the schedule at the Princess of Wales Theatre.
Performances were slated to begin Jan. 22 and run until March 13.
In Ottawa, plans to bring the acclaimed “Hamilton” musical to the National Arts Centre’s Southam Hall on Jan. 4 have been postponed until July 12.
The touring company Broadway Across Canada said the move was a response to stricter capacity limits and that it hoped all ticket holders could keep their seats by planning the shows for next summer.
The cancellations add to a growing number of live theatre and concert shows that have opted to pull their upcoming dates out of an abundance of caution, rather than adhere to the capacity restrictions found in the latest health guidelines.
Premier Doug Ford announced on Friday that large indoor venues, including live theatres and concert halls, would be subject to capacity limits of 50 per cent to help slow the spread of Omicron.
The decision left the province’s venues scrambling to make changes to ticketed events that had been sold at full capacity. Some chose to refund some ticketholders while others decided to cancel all shows, saying it was impossible to break even with the new requirements.