Broadway’s West Side Story postpones opening night after star’s knee injury
The new Broadway revival of West Side Story is pushing its opening night back by two weeks after leading man Isaac Powell suffered an onstage knee injury.
Producer Scott Rudin told Deadline on Monday that the show will now open Feb. 20 instead of Feb. 6, “to give Isaac the chance to recover from an injury to his knee, so that he can have the same duration of preview playing period we’ve always had scheduled.”
“Luckily he is much braver than me and will be back and playing his full, remarkable show very shortly,” Rudin added.
Powell plays Tony in director Ivo van Hove’s new staging of the beloved musical. Details on his injury weren’t disclosed, but Deadline reported that it apparently occurred during Friday’s performance.
West Side Story began previews earlier this month, and performances for the show will continue with actor Jordan Dobson taking on the role of Tony. Powell, who also starred in the Tony-winning 2017 revival of Once On This Island, is expected to return in time for that Feb. 20 opening.
