Erika Jayne Forced to End Her Broadway 'Chicago' Run Weeks Early Due to Coronavirus Shutdown

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Erika Jayne made her Broadway debut in January

By Ally Mauch

Published on March 13, 2020 11:36 AM

In the latest string of coronavirus-related cancellations, Erika Girardi has ended her Broadway run early due to a shutdown of all shows.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star, who performed under her stage name Erika Jayne, was playing the murderous housewife and aspiring nightclub singer Roxie Hart in the Tony-winning revival of Chicago the Musical.

“Well this is not the way I wanted to say goodbye to Roxie and my Chicago family but I have no choice,” Jayne, 48, wrote on her Instagram page alongside a photo of her on stage. “THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart to everyone that came to the shows . I leave NYC feeling like my mission is incomplete but I will treasure this time always.”

Erika Jayne Roxy Hart Chicago — Erika Jayne/Instagram

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin announced Thursday that all Broadway performances have been canceled until April 12 due to concerns about the coronavirus, which has been deemed a pandemic by the World Health Organization.

“We are taking new actions to reduce the density of people across the state,” Cuomo said. “Starting Friday at 5 p.m., gatherings with 500 people or more will not be permitted in NYS. Additionally, for facilities with an occupancy of 500 or fewer, we are reducing the legal capacity by 50%. For Broadway theaters in Manhattan, these rules will go into effect at 5 p.m. today. We have already spoken to the theaters about these new measures and they agreed.”

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Kyle Richards, Teddi Mellencamp, Erika Jayne as "Roxie Hart", Dorit Kemsley, Sutton Stracke and Lisa Rinna pose backstage at the hit musical "Chicago" on Broadway at The Ambassador Theatre on January 14, 2020 in New York City — Bruce Glikas/WireImage

Erika Jayne as "Roxie Hart" poses backstage after making her broadway debut in the hit musical "Chicago" on Broadway at The Ambassador Theater on January 6, 2020 in New York City — Bruce Glikas/WireImage

The novel coronavirus, known officially as COVID-19, has set off a wave of cancellations in the entertainment world and beyond as government officials attempt to contain the spread of the respiratory virus in the United States. As of Friday morning, there were 138,069 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,103 deaths worldwide.

Girardi made her debut in January at New York City’s Ambassador Theater, and was set to perform through March 29. When she first got cast in Chicago — the longest-running American musical in Broadway history — the reality star told PEOPLE she was “beyond excited.”

“I’m beyond excited to join the cast of the legendary musical Chicago,” Girardi said in September. “Having been a fan of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon’s work it is an honor and a dream to play Roxie Hart.”