Disney's 'Frozen' on Broadway to permanently close due to COVID-19 pandemic
The Broadway lights are permanently going dark for the popular Disney musical "Frozen," based on the 2013 Oscar-winning animated film.
The heartbreaking news was made Thursday as Thomas Schumacher, president and producer of Disney Theatrical Productions, confirmed the beloved musical will not return when Broadway reopens.
Citing the "industry-wide shutdown and resulting economic fallout" of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic as the cause of the shuttering, Schumacher announced in a statement that "'Frozen,' like all shows, is wholly dependent on those who create and perform them but this was an uncommonly close and talented group and they’ll be missed."
The Broadway staple opened March 22, 2018, and ran for 825 performances. When the curtains fell on March 11, 2020, nobody knew that performance was going to be the musical's final bow on Broadway.
Not only does this signify Broadway's first permanent closure due to the novel coronavirus, the news sets an uncertain future for many musicals considering how successful "Frozen" was.
Over 1.3 million people turned up to watch Anna, Elsa, Olaf and Kristoff on the stage; the musical grossed over $150 million during its nearly two-year run. It was also nominated for the Best Musical Tony Award.
"I have to acknowledge our incredible audiences; night after night, the fans showed us how much they loved this show and we look forward to seeing them at 'Frozen' around the world," Schumacher concluded.
Tickets for the Broadway musical purchased via Ticketmaster will be refunded. Those who used other channels to secure tickets should contact their vendor.
While its run on Broadway has come to an end, a future North American tour for "Frozen" is in the works. In addition, starting next year, the Disney musical will open in Australia, Japan, Germany and the United Kingdom.
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