Downstate Delays First Broadway Preview by Two Days After Illness
Broadway previews for Bruce Norris' play Downstate will start two days late because of illness in the company.
The production announced the shift ahead of its planned start at the Booth Theatre. The first preview moves from Saturday, October 17, to Monday, October 19. Opening night stays set for Sunday, November 15, Deadline reported.
That means the October 17 performance is canceled. Ticketholders can get a refund or rebook through their point of purchase, according to the production.
The company did not say who was ill. It did not describe the illness.
Previews are early, ticketed performances before the official opening. The show can still make changes during that stretch. The opening night is the formal launch, when critics review and the run is locked in.
Downstate is directed by Joe Mantello. It is produced on Broadway by Scott Rudin and Barry Diller.
The Broadway cast includes Cassie Beck, K. Todd Freeman, Francis Guinan, Adrian Martinez, Al'Jaleel McGhee, Thomas Sadoski, Ivy Wolk and Liza Colón-Zayas.
The delay was first noted in ticketing listings. Telecharge now shows October 19 as the start of previews, BroadwayWorld reported. The show had originally been scheduled to begin October 17, Playbill reported.
For ticket buyers, this means checking dates closely. Anyone holding for October 17 needs new seats or a refund. The show's website notes that qualifying tickets costing $150 or more, including all fees, apply to select performances October 17 through November 22.
Two days is a small slip in a long process. A Broadway opening involves a full company, a crew and eight shows a week. Losing an early preview tightens rehearsal and tech time before November 15.
