With few if any remaining COVID precautions being enforced, the coronavirus is again wreaking havoc on performing arts organizations across the state.
At least four Colorado performing companies – Central City Opera, the Creede Repertory Theatre, the Evergreen Players and the Lake Dillon Theatre Company – have canceled all performances through at least Monday (July 25) because of new outbreaks among their creative teams.
And today (Saturday), the Colorado Shakespeare Festival canceled this afternoon’s indoor matinee performance of “Coriolanus” less than an hour before it was set to begin. Right now, a spokesperson said, tonight’s performance is still currently planned to go forward.
Play it again, Sam | John Moore
Lake Dillon, which performs in Silverthorne about 60 miles west of Denver, has gone so far as to cancel all remaining performances of “Man of La Mancha,” which was set to run through Aug. 28, and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” which had been scheduled to run through Aug. 21. That’s more than 30 combined performances, wiped out.
“Any decision like this is not taken lightly but because of the ongoing and substantial costs of keeping two large shows in rotation with rising COVID-19 cases amongst a large company, we have taken the forward initiative to close both shows early,” said Producing Artistic Director Chris Alleman, who hopes to reopen Aug. 11 with the previously scheduled musical “Xanadu.”
Meanwhile, Creede Repertory Theatre, which already had canceled this full week of performances, has decided not only to scuttle tonight’s opening performance of “Royale,” it has postponed the entire production to 2023. “Royale,” which was supposed to run through September, is a new period boxing play by Marco Ramirez based on the life of Jack Johnson. Producing Artistic Director John DiAntonio called the decision heartbreaking.
“Our staff determined there simply wasn’t a way to move forward safely, while giving this amazing play the time and attention it deserves,” DiAntonio said. “This decision was ultimately driven by scheduling limitations, including the loss of significant rehearsal time and the full technical rehearsal period.”
He added that performances of “Steel Magnolias,” “Native Gardens,” “Sherwood, “Always, Patsy Cline” and “Sherwood: The Adventures of Robin Hood” are expected to resume Tuesday.
Also: Adam Cayton-Holland canceled his full comedy lineup scheduled for Friday (July 22) at the Skylark Lounge, and KBCO radio personality Bret Saunders has been recovering off-air for the same reason, according to social posts by both entertainers.
Arts news | Theater community to honor six pioneering founders on Monday
Central City Opera has just two remaining performances of “The Light in the Piazza,” July 26 and 28.
The Evergreen Players hope to present one final weekend of the jukebox musical “Rock of Ages” July 29-31.
+7
Longtime Central City Opera leader makes sudden exit: Arts news
