Due to a shortfall in capitalization and following the withdrawal of a lead producer, the Broadway production of ROOM, which was scheduled to begin performances on April 3, 2023, at the James Earl Jones Theatre, has been postponed indefinitely. The current production, which was in rehearsal, has shut down as of Thursday, March 16.
“In the midst of our rehearsals we were informed by one of our lead producers that due to personal reasons, they did not intend to fulfill their obligations to the production. Since being notified, the rest of the producing team has exhausted all possible avenues to keep the show on track, but the narrow timeline and economic shortfall created by this series of events has proven to be insurmountable,” said producer Hunter Arnold. “We are incredibly disappointed not to be able to open this remarkable production at this time and are especially heartbroken for our incredibly talented cast and creative team who were hard at work in the rehearsal room.”
Producers Sam Julyan and James Yeoburn stated, “We have been honored to share the story of ROOM since its world premiere in 2017 in London and its subsequent productions in Dublin, Scotland, and Ontario. We truly believe that today’s disappointing news will not be the end of ROOM on stage.”
ROOM was set to star Tony Award winner Adrienne Warren alongside Tony Award nominee Ephraim Sykes, Tina Benko, Michael Genet, Triney Sandoval, child actors Aiden Mekhi Sierra of New Jersey and Christopher Woodley of New York City, and three-time Tony Award nominee and Emmy Award nominee Kate Burton.
Written and adapted for the stage by Emma Donoghue, the original book’s author, ROOM had a critically acclaimed 2017 world premiere at Theatre Royal Stratford East, London, UK, and productions at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin, Ireland; the National Theatre of Scotland; the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario; and the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, Ontario.