Todrick Hall/Photo credit: Todrick Hall Instagram account
The musical Midnight has cancelled its first week of Off-Broadway previews.
Todrick Hall, known as a YouTube and RuPaul’s Drag Race star, produced the show, along with Caryn Sterling, CEO of Sterling Worldwide Entertainment, who also serves as another major producer on the project. The musical was set to play show previews at the Daryl Roth Theatre on September 17, but the date was shifted to now take place on September 25.
It was set to open to the general musical audience on October 15 and conclude on November 8. Hall acknowledged the problems the delays have caused to fans who were eagerly awaiting the performance on Instagram.
Hall blamed the issues on unforeseen circumstances, noting that this kind of show is unprecedented, having had to transform a bank vault for the musical, and emphasized the importance of safety for the performers.
This decision to postpone the show did not come to him lightly, as he continued in his Instagram post on why he is being so careful with the musical, sharing, “This is the closest I’m ever probably going to have to birthing a baby, and I just wanted it to be done correctly.”
Delays can leave it more “time in the oven” to be fully developed. Waiting isn’t something many people want, but Hall’s concern to provide the best possible product strikes a chord with people who create things to be consumed by the public.
While his musical is not the only one out there, competition has faded with Moulin Rouge! having ended. Meanwhile, Dolly: A True Original Musical, the show Dolly Parton had been working on before she passed away, is not slated to come out until 2027, well before Hall’s Midnight is set to conclude its November 8 cut-off date.
Midnight’s delays, while definitely not a wanted outcome, are still set to perform as expected. Hall’s concern about the quality of his musical production is noteworthy, and it gives the impression that he will handle it carefully. In due time, the show can be seen.