Broadway Stars React To Theater Shutdowns With Well Wishes & Good Humor: “Welp, It’s Been Real Y’all” Tweets David Alan Grier

Greg Evans
·4 min read

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“Well, this is not the way I wanted to say goodbye.” So begins Real Housewife and Chicago star Erika Jayne’s farewell to New York and her theater colleagues, one of many social media responses to today’s immediate shutdown of Broadway productions because of the coronavirus.

“Harsh and heartbreaking to the industry,” tweeted actress Audra McDonald, “but necessary.” Sarah Jessica Parker, who will star with husband Matthew Broderick in this spring’s Plaza Suite, writes, “Broadway doesn’t stay quiet for long. We will be back.”

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Stephanie J. Block, who won a Tony Award last year for her starring role in The Cher Show, wrote, “We will rise again as artists…My finances may be emptied but my heart, body & soul KNOWS this is the right thing to do for ALL.”

Anaïs Mitchell, composer of last year’s Tony-winning musical Hadestown, tweeted in part, “Sending love to everyone — casts, bands, crews, ushers, fans, artists, producers, hell even critics…”

And David Alan Grier, star of Broadway’s A Soldier’s Play (which had been set to close March 15), offered a simple, “Welp, it’s been real y’all.”

Here’s a sampling of Broadway and Hollywood reactions, including tweets from Madam Secretary‘s Erich Bergen, Law & Order SVU showrunner Warren Leight, and Beetlejuice composer Eddie Perfect.

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Broadway doesn't stay quiet for long. We will be back. The Rialto will hum. Times Square will hustle and bustle And we will be ready to swing open the doors of the beautiful Hudson Theatre and share an afternoon or evening together. We count the days until the marquees are once again lit. In the meantime, we think of all those affected and hope for everyone's good health. X,SJ

A post shared by SJP (@sarahjessicaparker) on Mar 12, 2020 at 8:34pm PDT

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