While the 'Godzilla' actor has the coronavirus, his wife and 'Plaza Suite' co-star, Sarah Jessica Parker, tests negative and will perform opposite his standby, Michael McGrath.

• Apr 6, 2022

AceShowbiz - Matthew Broderick has tested positive for COVID-19. Following his COVID diagnosis, the actor portraying Dr. Niko Tatopoulos in "Godzilla" was forced to cancel his "Plaza Suite" Broadway performance.

A spokesperson for the production confirmed the diagnosis in a statement released on Tuesday, April 5, just hours before the showtime. In the note, producers said that the 60-year-old actor received the result "before today's performance of Plaza Suite, despite strict adherence to COVID safety protocols." They also clarified that a second test confirmed the diagnosis.

"Everyone wishes [Matthew] a speedy recovery," the statement added. It's also said that Matthew is expected to return to the show on Friday, April 15. Per the statement, Matthew's wife and his "Plaza Suite" co-star, Sarah Jessica Parker, tested negative and will perform opposite Matthew's standby, Tony-winning actor Michael McGrath, on Tuesday evening.

"Plaza Suite" is a revival of Neil Simon's classic stage show that follows three distinct stories told in three acts. The show was originally intended to debut in 2020 but it was postponed due to COVID-19 closures.

Prior to this, "A Strange Loop", Michael R. Jackson's Pulitzer-winning musical, canceled its first Broadway preview due to cases of COVID-19 detected within the company. The show was originally set for Wednesday, April 6. Previews are now expected to begin Thursday, April 7 at the Lyceum Theatre with understudies in some roles.

"A Strange Loop" became the second Broadway production in as many weeks to cancel performances due to COVID-19 exposure. Last week, producers of "Macbeth", starring Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga, put the production on pause after Daniel tested positive for the highly-contagious virus.

"Today's matinee and evening performance of MACBETH are cancelled due to Daniel Craig just testing positive for COVID this afternoon," a statement shared on April 2 read. "We apologize for the inconvenience this causes ticket holders, but the safety of our audiences, the cast and crew remains our top priority. All tickets for the cancelled performance will be refunded at the original point of purchase."

Daniel, however, was not the only one who caught the coronavirus. Hours after the initial announcement, the production revealed, "Performances of MACBETH on Broadway are being cancelled through Thursday, April 7th due to the detection of a limited number of positive covid test results within the company."