The show went on at Broadway’s Shucked on Wednesday night, though New York City’s bad air quality did have an impact on the staging: Book writer Robert Horn and composer Brandy Clark stepped in to play the main female character Maizy, with Horn reading the dialogue and Clark singing the songs.
The night’s concert-style staging was necessitated by the absence of Maizy actress Caroline Innerbichler, who was out for the night due to reasons unrelated to the orange haze covering the city. Innerbichler has two understudies, one of whom was out due to what a spokesperson for the show said was a sinus infection unrelated to the air quality and another understudy out due specifically to the air quality.
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The historically bad air quality stemming from Canadian wildfires hit New York City hard yesterday – and likely will continue today — with two Broadway shows, Hamilton and Camelot, canceling Wednesday night performances due to the air or cast shortages. The Public Theater canceled last night’s dress rehearsal of the Shakespeare in the Park Hamlet as well as the Thursday and Friday night previews.
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Actors’ Equity Association on Wednesday urged its members to report health-related concerns. In the audience of a performance of Sweeney Todd last night, Actors’ Equity president Kate Shindle tweeted, “Theaters are recycling/refiltering inside air only tonight, and the difference indoors in breathability is significant and noticeable (that said, I’m sitting, not singing). There will certainly be more discussion tomorrow. Stay safe everybody.”
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