The tribute show to Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli that drew criticism for reopening during the pandemic is shutting down after three performances.
A statement on the Facebook page of star and co-producer Nancy Hays said the “well-meaning experiment” is closing in response to “vocal condemnation” from the public.
“We love the theatre and had no intention of causing distress or danger to anyone, so we apologize to those affected,” the statement said.
“Judy & Liza, Once in a Lifetime: The London Palladium Concert — A Tribute” had opened in March but ran less than a week before theaters were ordered closed. This remount had been slated to play through Aug. 9 at the Greenhouse Theater Center at 2257 N. Lincoln Avenue.
As Friday’s reopening neared, many in the Chicago theater community chided Greenhouse owners William and Wendy Spatz for moving forward with the show, and the venue’s general manager, Derek Rienzi Van Tassel, announced his resignation on Thursday, calling the remount “foolish and dangerous.”
The statement from producers said the two stars performed this weekend “to very small audiences of less than 20 friends-and-family in a space of nearly 200 seats, and we were able to film an archival video of the show while complying with City and State guidelines.”
Safety measures at the Greenhouse had included mandatory masks for audience members and a plexiglass shield for the box office attendant. All tickets had to be purchased in advance, and there were no programs, ushers or concession sales inside the theater.
“We sincerely thought that our attempt to create a safe production with a 2-person cast and a widely-spaced, mask-wearing audience would be met with interest by the theatre community as a possible way forward,” the statement said, “but our well-meaning experiment received vocal condemnation, which we heard and are responding to.”
