Belgian director Ivo van Hove’s acclaimed 2020 Broadway revival of “West Side Story,” originally produced by Scott Rudin, will not reopen, the show’s new lead producer announced on Monday.
“It is with great regret that we are announcing today that the 2020 Broadway revival of ‘West Side Story’ will not reopen,” producer Kate Horton said in a statement. “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. We thank all the brilliant, creative artists who brought ‘West Side Story’ to life at the Broadway Theatre, even for so brief a time, especially the extraordinary acting company, 33 of whom made their Broadway debuts in this production.”
The musical revival opened to strong reviews on Feb. 20, 2020 — just weeks before the coronavirus pandemic forced the shutdown of all of Broadway’s theaters on March 10. Since it had only been open for weeks before the shutdown, the Tony Awards considered it ineligible for contention for awards for the abbreviated 2019-20 season.
The production, featuring new choreography and a stylish project-heavy set design, had been generating significant ticket sales when theaters shut down — including $1.5 million for the week ending March 8, 2020. The show played a total of 78 previews and 24 post-opening night performances. On March 12, the show shut down production.
Barry Diller and David Geffen also served as producers on the show, with the cast including Shereen Pimentel as Maria, Isaac Cole Powell as Tony and Yesenia Ayala as Anita.
In April, Rudin announce he would “step back” from active work on his Broadway productions after facing accusations by multiple individuals of a long-standing pattern of abusive behavior toward employees. He released a statement apologizing for the “pain my behavior caused to individuals, directly and indirectly. Shortly afterward, he said he would do the same for his film and streaming projects.
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