Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill musical permanently closes due to COVID surge
The producers of the show stressed their desire to "prioritize the health and safety of the cast, crew, and entire team"
Jagged Little Pill, the musical based on Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album of the same name, will not be reopening on Broadway. Following the COVID surge in New York City due to the omicron variant, Jagged Little Pill initially cancelled shows from December 18 to December 21. However, the show’s producers say in order to “to prioritize the health and safety of the cast, crew, and entire team,” they will need to “to close [their] doors.”
The difficult decision comes after multiple people in the company tested positive for COVID-19. The full statement from producers Vivek J. Tiwary, Arvind Ethan David, and Eva Price reads:
We are so proud of this extraordinary show, and this extraordinary company, who every night in difficult circumstances, have told the Jagged Little Pill story. This show about healing, human connection, and catharsis, has been a salve to audiences, and to all of us, throughout these trying times.
Yet, 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.
We know that the Jagged Little Pill story will continue to be told – and in the new year, will be announcing plans for subsequent productions, building on the show’s triumphant launch in Australia earlier this month. We also hope and intend to find a way to bring this vibrant and vitalizing musical back to the Broadway stage, once the current crisis is past, but at this time we are in the unfortunate position to determine Friday, December 17, 2021 as the final Broadway performance of Jagged Little Pill.
There is nothing in the world like live theater. There is no community in the world like this great Broadway family of artists and audiences. We will make it through this, together.
Jagged Little Pill—which opened in December 2019 just before the first COVID-19 wave—is one of many Broadway productions affected by this current, unexpected COVID surge.
Freestyle Love Supreme, Hadestown, Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Mrs. Doubtfire, Tina, Ain’t Too Proud, and Wicked have all canceled performances. MJ, Hamilton, Aladdin, and Dear Evan Hansen will cancel performances through Christmas.
On Sunday, December 19, New York reported nearly 24,000 new COVID cases. It was the state’s highest single-day total since the pandemic began.