NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Ivo van Hove's Broadway revival of “West Side Story” announced Monday that it will not reopen.
“It is with great regret that we are announcing today that the 2020 Broadway revival of ‘West Side Story’ will not reopen,” said producer Kate Horton. “This difficult and painful decision comes after we have explored every possible path to a successful run, and unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, reopening is not a practical proposition.”
The production had opened on Feb. 21, 2020 at the Broadway Theatre and ran for about a month before it was forced to close due to the Broadway shutdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Horton, in her statement, was sure to thank all those who made the production possible.
“We thank all the brilliant, creative artists who brought ‘West Side Story’ to life at the Broadway Theatre,” she wrote, “even for so brief a time, especially the extraordinary acting company, 33 of whom made their Broadway debuts in this production.”
News of the show’s closure came as Broadway continues to prepare for a return in New York City.
While some performances have begun again on the Great White Way, theaters are not scheduled to reopen with full capacity until Sept. 14.
In late July, the Broadway League announced that audience members attending productions at all 41 theaters in New York City will need to provide proof of vaccination through October. This mandate will also be applied to performers, crew members and theater staff.
Masks will also be required for audience members, unless they are eating or drinking.