Toronto's 'Come From Away' suspends four shows after positive COVID-19 case in stage crew

"Come From Away" is going dark until after the Christmas holiday following a positive COVID-19 test among the backstage crew.

Mirvish Productions says it's cancelled four upcoming performances of the Gander, N.L.-set musical in an effort to "protect all the artists, technicians, staff and audiences, and allow everyone to celebrate the holidays safely."

The shows affected were scheduled to run Thursday night, Friday afternoon and on Sunday afternoon and evening.

The announcement comes as the live theatre industry is rocked by the rapid spread of the highly contagious Omicron variant.

"Come From Away" reopened at the Royal Alexandra Theatre only last week as a new round of tighter capacity restrictions were introduced limiting all live theatres and concert halls to 50 per cent capacity.

Mirvish says "Come From Away" is scheduled to resume performances on Dec. 28.

Ticketholders for the affected performances have been contacted with the option to exchange their tickets for another performance or a different theatre show or receive a refund or a credit, according to a representative for Mirvish.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2021.