DENVER – Tuesday’s performances of "The Lion King" at Denver’s Buell Theatre were cancelled Monday after breakthrough COVID-19 infections were detected within the company, according to officials with the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
Tuesday’s cancellations mark the second time this week the DCPA has had to cancel performances of the award-winning musical after the first bout of COVID-19 breakthrough infections were discovered prior to Sunday evening’s performance.
DCPA officials said tickets for Tuesday's 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. performances will be refunded. People who purchased tickets through the DCPA should be getting an email with refund information soon. Those who purchased tickets through third-party sites will need to contact those vendors directly for refund information.
“We continue to thank our patrons, The Lion King company and local teams for doing their part to ensure the safest possible environment,” said DCPA Broadway executive director John Ekeberg in a prepared statement. “If we had any alternative to canceling performances on Tuesday, December 21, we would. Again, we are terribly sorry for the disappointment this may cause and appreciate our audiences’ understanding that these tough decisions are made with health and safety at the forefront.”
DCPA officials announced Tuesday that the following performances were also canceled:
- Wednesday, Dec. 22 at 7:30 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 23 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 24 at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 26 at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Performances are set to resume on Dec. 28. An official update will be provided next week.
On Friday, the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities announced it was canceling their remaining performances of ‘Elf’ due to COVID-19 after detecting positive cases in the cast and crew of the show.
All resident companies of downtown Denver’s Performing Arts Complex have required proof of full vaccination and mandatory mask wearing since the beginning of October to attend indoor performances.
