The Shows Must Go On — a YouTube channel that since April has aired full-length recordings of Andrew Lloyd Webber and NBC musicals for free every Friday — is closing its curtains this weekend to show support for Black Lives Matter protests, Playbill reports.
“We will no longer be going ahead with this weekend’s show. We stand with our black employees, colleagues, partners and creators in outrage at acts of racism,” the channel and Universal said in a statement. “Black lives matter.”
The Shows Must Go On announced the change on Wednesday. The announcement comes on the heels of “Blackout Tuesday,” a day where people were encouraged to disconnect from work and focus on community, according to the Deseret News.
The “Blackout Tuesday” event was organized in reaction to the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmed Arbery and George Floyd, a 46-year-old man who died last week in the hands of Minneapolis police.
Originally, “Peter Pan Live!” was set to stream for 48 hours on the YouTube channel starting Friday at noon MT. According to Playbill, the stream has been “postponed.”
Filmed in 2014, NBC’s adaptation of “Peter Pan” stars Allison Williams in the title role; Christopher Walken as Captain Hook; Taylor Elizabeth Louderman — best known for originating the role of Regina George in the Broadway musical “Mean Girls” — as Wendy Darling; Tony Award-winning actress Kelli O’Hara as Mrs. Darling; and Broadway star Christian Borle as Mr. Darling and Smee.
Previously, “The Shows Must Go On” has streamed “Hairspray Live!” “By Jeeves!” “Andrew Lloyd Webber – The Royal Albert Hall Celebration,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” the “Phantom” sequel “Love Never Dies,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” starring Donny Osmond, and the 2012 U.K. arena tour production of “Jesus Christ Superstar.”
Proceeds from the streams have assisted a number of organizations amid the pandemic, including the Actors Fund, Acting for Others, Broadway Cares and Actors Benevolent Fund, the Deseret News previously reported.