Gallagher fell ill just prior to the Feb. 21 Saturday evening show, prompting a last-minute cancellation of that performance. His understudy, actor James Moye, stepped into the role and has performed alongside co-star Kristin Chenoweth for the past week. Gallagher is now slated to return to the production March 3.
As a result, Roundabout Theatre Company has pushed back the show's originally scheduled March 12 opening night by three days. On the Twentieth Century will now officially open March 15. The limited 20-week engagement will continue through July 5 at the American Airlines Theatre as scheduled.
The musical — featuring music by Cy Coleman and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green — premiered on Broadway in 1978 under the direction of Harold Prince and won Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical.
Here's how Roundabout bills the classic: "It's nonstop laughs aboard the Twentieth Century, a luxury coach travelling from Chicago to New York City. Luck, love and mischief collide when the bankrupt theater producer Oscar Jaffe (Gallagher) embarks on a madcap mission to cajole glamorous Hollywood starlet Lily Garland (Chenoweth) into playing the lead in his new, non-existent epic drama. But is the train ride long enough to reignite the spark between these former lovers, create a play from scratch, and find the money to get it all the way to Broadway?"
For more on the show, click here.
The American Airlines Theatre on Broadway is located at 227 West 42nd Street. For tickets, call (212) 719-1300 or visit RoundaboutTheatre.org.
