Broadway’s “Plaza Suite” has canceled Thursday night’s performance because the show’s lead, Sarah Jessica Parker, has tested positive for COVID-19.
The news comes two days after Parker’s husband and “Plaza Suite” co-star Matthew Broderick came down with the virus. Earlier in the week, Parker had tested negative and continued to perform with Broderick’s understudy. On Thursday, she tested positive with a second test confirming the diagnosis.
It is not clear when the show will return. “Plaza Suite” producers said they will give updates about future performances at a later date.
“With both Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker positive for COVID, tonight’s performance of ‘Plaza Suite’ is canceled,” the show’s producers said in a statement. “The producers apologize for the inconvenience this has caused audience members. Ticket holders should contact their point of sale to reschedule for a future performance or obtain a refund.”
They added, “Everyone wishes Matthew and Sarah Jessica a speedy recovery.”
Broadway shows have continued to follow strict COVID protocols, including proof of vaccination and mask requirements. But the virus has still managed to impact nearly every production on the Great White Way, including “The Music Man,” “Company,” “Aladdin” and “Mrs. Doubtfire.” In some instances, understudies and swings have replaced lead performers, and in other cases, productions have been canceled for days at a time. Some shows, such as “Ain’t Too Proud,” “Jagged Little Pill” and “Waitress,” have ended their runs early because Broadway’s box office hasn’t rebounded from COVID.
“Plaza Suite” was originally intended to debut in 2020, but the pandemic delayed its opening night. John Benjamin Hickey is directing “Plaza Suite,” a revival of Neil Simon’s classic play. The three-act show tells the story of three couples (all played by Broderick and Parker) in New York City’s famed Plaza Hotel. The show first premiered on Broadway in 1968 and later was adapted into a 1971 film with Walter Matthau and Maureen Stapleton, as well as a 1987 TV movie starring Carol Burnett.
In Variety’s review of “Plaza Suite,” Daniel D’Addario praised the chemistry between the central lovers, writing, “Parker and Broderick provoke, alienate and woo one another, and provide a strong argument for a playwright whose work seems next-to-impossible to subvert.”
