Producers of The Book of Mormon expect performances to resume at Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theatre on Thursday, May 21, following a fire that forced the cancellation of shows for more than two weeks.
The fire broke out on the morning of May 4 and was limited to the follow spot booth of the theater, according to a joint statement from producers and venue owner ATG Entertainment. A follow spot is a stage lighting instrument that projects a bright beam of light onto a performance space. The FDNY arrived on site within minutes and quickly extinguished the three-alarm blaze. The exact cause of the fire has not been determined.
Repairs have moved quickly. "The work inside the theatre is being completed by an extraordinary team that has made tremendous progress," the statement reads, according to Deadline. "Due to their efforts, the schedule for resumption of performances is as follows: Performances for The Book of Mormon are cancelled through Wednesday, May 20, to complete work on the theatre after the May 4 fire. On its current timeline, The Book of Mormon will resume performances on Thursday, May 21."
The box office, which had been closed, reopened to the public on Friday, May 15, at 10 a.m. ET. To mark the show's 15th anniversary, the first 50 people at the box office on Friday were able to purchase $15 tickets, two tickets each, for select performances throughout the summer.
Producers and ATG Entertainment said they will keep audiences updated if anything changes in the coming days. Both organizations extended thanks to the FDNY and the Department of Buildings for their cooperation throughout the repair process. Ticket holders affected by the cancellations were notified through their point of purchase to receive refunds or reschedule.
