In upsetting news to theatergoers, producers of the most recent Broadway revival of the Edward Albee classic Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf announced that the production has been canceled “due to ensuing cast conflicts amid the shutdown.†The Joe Mantello–directed production was set to open on April 6 and star Russel Tovey as Nick, Patsy Ferran as Honey, Rupert Everett as George, and two-time Tony Award winner Laurie Metcalf. However, due to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s decision to shut down Broadway for at least a month in a response to the coronavirus pandemic, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf had a grand total of nine preview performances before closing for good.
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf isn’t the only production to have shuttered its doors early. Martin McDonagh’s Hangmen announced on Friday that it would not be returning to Broadway due to the coronavirus. So, to recap: Theatergoers have now been robbed of a month of Broadway shows, the Jimmy Awards, and what would’ve surely been a sensational, Tony-nominated performance from Laurie Metcalf. Send your theater friends a virtual hug today. They’ll need it.