June 12: Actor Daniel Radcliffe (C) performs with the cast of 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying' during the American Theatre Wing's 65th annual Tony Awards ceremony. (Reuters)
The death of a 29-year-old stagehand Wednesday forced the cast and crew of Broadway’s hit musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” to cancel their 100th performance just before the curtain rose, the New York Times reports.
According to the Times, the death was the result of a drug overdose and did not involve any safety issues or accidents related to the production.
“It was a stagehand who had done something terrible to himself,” a theater industry executive told the Times. “Apparently it happened in a bathroom backstage, and it was very, very serious.”
The stagehand’s name was withheld because the family had yet to be notified.
Two announcements were made to the audience when the production was delayed from its original 8 p.m. start time. Around 9 p.m., the show’s two stars, Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette, addressed the audience to tell them that would be canceling the performance due to a tragedy, the Times reported. They did not go into details.
Audience members were told they would receive a full refund, the Times reported.
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