Beetlejuice Musical's Future in Question After Broadway's Coronavirus Shutdown Extends Through June
Beetlejuice has closed its doors on Broadway, at least for now.
The show’s final bow at the Winter Garden Theatre took place two months early as the theatre closed its doors amid the coronavirus pandemic.
However, a rep for the show, which was nominated for eight Tony Awards, tells PEOPLE, “Obviously, with the suspension of Broadway through June 7th, this means that Beetlejuice won’t be returning to the Winter Garden Theater, but the musical still has plans to launch a national tour in the fall of 2021 (announced in January).”
“The producers are still considering if there is an opportunity for Beetlejuice to return to Broadway in another theater, but a decision won’t be made until there is more information including a date for Broadway to reopen,” the rep adds. “That is all we know as of today.”
The musical adaptation takes its roots in Tim Burton’s 1980 film of the same name which starred Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Catherine O’Hara, Jeffrey Jones and Glenn Shadix.
The final Broadway cast included Tony nominee Alex Brightman as Beetlejuice, Presley Ryan, David Josefsberg, Kerry Butler, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer and Adam Damnheisser.
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Beetlejuice‘s close comes as Broadway’s shutdown extends to June 7 as coronavirus cases surge in New York City.
“Our top priority continues to be the health and well-being of Broadway theatergoers and the thousands of people who work in the theatre industry every day, including actors, musicians, stagehands, ushers, and many other dedicated professionals,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, in a statement. “Broadway will always be at the very heart of the Big Apple, and we join with artists, theatre professionals, and fans in looking forward to the time when we can once again experience live theatre together.”
Previously, the League had set the week of April 13 as the date when performances would resume. Tickets for many Broadway shows — including hits like Hamilton, To Kill a Mockingbird, Dear Evan Hansen, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, The Book of Mormon, The Lion King, Frozen, Aladdin, Come From Away, Hadestown, and The Phantom of the Opera — have remained on sale for this month.
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Any tickets purchased before the new start date will now need to be refunded or exchanged. Ticketholders should expect an email from their point of purchase with further instructions.
Broadway has been dark since March 12, with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the Broadway League shutting the theaters to help stop the spread of the global pandemic.
The shutdown is the longest in Broadway history, surpassing pauses in performances made after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, as well as the strikes in 1919, 1960, 1964, 1975, and 2003.
The 74th annual Tony Awards, which celebrates the best of Broadway, was also postponed. The annual awards show was scheduled to air live on CBS on June 7 from Radio City Music Hall.
