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Hugh Jackman to miss 'The Music Man' performances due to COVID-19

Sutton Foster (R) and Hugh Jackman arrive on the red carpet at The 75th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
1 of 5 | Sutton Foster (R) and Hugh Jackman arrive on the red carpet at The 75th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

June 13 (UPI) -- Hugh Jackman won't perform in The Music Man on Broadway this week due to his second COVID-19 diagnosis.

The 53-year-old actor revealed the news in an Instagram post Monday evening. In the post, Jackman expressed his disappointment in having to miss multiple upcoming productions of the musical.

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In place of Jackman, standby actor Max Clayton will perform the role of Professor Harold Hill alongside Sutton Foster in all performances of Meredith Willson's musical comedy from June 14-21.

"I've frustratingly tested positive for COVID. Again. My standby, the amazingly talented @maxmclayton, will step in for me," Jackman captioned his Instagram post. "What's most annoying is I don't get to see him perform!

"I've said it before, and will say it a million times more ... Maxi and all the standbys, swings and understudies around the world, you are the true heroes of theater. You give life to the saying 'the show must go on.'"

Jackman's diagnosis comes a day after attending Sunday night's Tony Awards, in which he was nominated for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his role in The Music Man.

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Jackman first tested positive for the coronavirus in December -- just days after Foster also missed performances of The Music Man due to a COVID-19 case. A number of performances were called off before Jackman returned to the stage.

The Music Man is directed by four-time Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks, with choreography from Warren Carlyle.

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