Broadway musical 'Jagged Little Pill' closes after rising cases of coronavirus

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Elizabeth Stanley plays Mary Jane Healy, a central character in Jagged Little Pill. / Courtesy of the artist.

The Broadway musical Jagged Little Pill, which takes its title from the 1995 breakthrough album by singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette, has closed because of the new Omicron wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

Performances of Jagged Little Pill were originally canceled for a few days "due to the detection of a limited number of positive COVID test results." But on Monday night, producers of the show announced Dec. 17 was its final Broadway performance.

"The drastic turn of events this week with the rapid spread of the Omicron variant has, once again, changed everything," the producers said in a statement posted to social media. "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'."

The musical opened in 2019, drawing inspirations from songs on Morissette's classic album. At the 74th Tony Awards, the show received 15 award nominations and won two awards.

Jagged Little Pill told the story of the Healys, a family that appears to be perfect, but whose members are struggling privately, highlighting themes of addiction and trauma.

The show also faced controversy among fans and performers. In September, Celia Rose Gooding called out producers for causing harm "to the trans and non-binary community." Nora Schell, a non-binary actor, said on Twitter that they were pressured and intimidated by producers to put off necessary surgery.

On Monday, producers also announced plans for "subsequent productions, building on the show's triumphant launch in Australia earlier this month."

They added, "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."

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