Marsha Mason and Patti Lupone in “The Roommate” on Broadway.
The show must go on.
Mere days after "The Roommate" opened on Broadway, one of its starry lead actresses had to suddenly step away due to a positive COVID test.
The play, which opened Thursday and stars Mia Farrow and Patti Lupone, had to cancel two scheduled shows on Saturday due to Farrow's absence.
The Sunday matinee performance went as scheduled, though, thanks to a last-minute substitution.
Marsha Mason, a four-time Academy Award nominee revered for her stage and screen work, assumed Farrow's role as Sharon, opposite Lupone's Robyn.
Mason is an associate director on the play, and as the New York Times reports, worked closely with Farrow on her performance.
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After performing in the matinee with a script in hand, Mason and Lupone received a rapturous standing ovation. Mason said she was equally excited and terrified to step in at the last moment.
Broadway
“I was called to step in by the producers while enjoying a lovely Sunday morning in Connecticut, and of course, came right to the City," she said in a statement. "I was exhilarated to play opposite Patti and especially heartened to be able to pinch hit for my Connecticut dear friend and neighbor, Mia, who is quite marvelous in the role.”
"The Roommate" is written by Jen Silverman and follows two middle-aged women who become roommates after one, Sharon, divorces her partner and needs help paying rent.
