Jagged Little Pill closes on Broadway due to the pandemic

The Broadway production of Jagged Little Pill has ended its run.

A jukebox musical based on the 1995 Alanis Morissette album of the same name, Jagged Little Pill closed with immediate effect on Monday with producers blaming the pandemic.

Having opened on 5 November, 2019, the show’s performance on Friday, 17 December was its last.

A statement producers Vivek J. Tiwary, Arvind Ethan David and Eva Price said: “We are dismayed by what appears to be another substantial public health crisis, and—due to the detection of multiple positive COVID-19 cases within the company—need to prioritize the health and safety of the cast, crew, and entire team working on Jagged Little Pill.

“In light of the extreme uncertainty ahead of us this winter, and forced to choose between continuing performances and protecting our company, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our doors.

“We know that the Jagged Little Pill story will continue to be told—and in the new year, will be announcing plans for subsequent productions, building on the show’s triumphant launch in Australia earlier this month. We also hope and intend to find a way to bring this vibrant and vitalizing musical back to the Broadway stage, once the current crisis is past.”

There have also been rumours of a West End transfer but nothing official has been announced just yet.

Meanwhile, Diana also closed on Broadway at the weekend, playing its final of 33 performances on 19 December.

The musical’s original March 2020 opening was postponed due to the pandemic and the show was ultimately filmed on stage and released to Netflix in October this year before eventually opening on Broadway in November 2021.

Producers Grove Entertainment (Beth Williams), Frank Marshall and The Araca Group said: “We are extraordinarily proud of the Diana company and of the show onstage at the Longacre. Our heartfelt thanks go out to the cast, crew and everyone involved in creating the show. And to the audiences who have shown their love and support at every performance”

The piece starred Jeanna de Waal in the title role with book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music and lyrics David Bryan.

The closures follow a number of Broadway shows struggling amid the ongoing pandemic with numerous theatres going dark over the holiday season due to Covid cases.

Hadestown, Six, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, Aladdin, Ain’t Too Proud, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Moulin Rouge! are among the shows to have cancelled performances.

About the author: Josh Darvill

Josh is Stageberry's editor with over five years of experience writing about theatre in the West End and across the UK. Prior to following his passion for musicals, he worked for more than a decade as a TV journalist.