The growing number of coronavirus cases in the St. Louis area is leading some local arts organizations to postpone or cancel events scheduled for this month.

Arts leaders said on Wednesday they were concerned that their existing safety protocols, including the requirement that members of the public and performers wear masks and show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination, are insufficient to counter the rapid spread of the omicron variant as the number of regional cases peaks.

“We decided, in the wake of these increasing numbers, that even though we had all of these protocols in place, it was probably best for us to postpone our production until the summer,” said Brian McKinley, actor and assistant. executive to the black rep.

To help protect its employees and audiences, the Black Rep moved its production of “Dontrell Who Kissed the Sea” from January to July. He still plans to produce the next show on his program, “Fireflies,” in February.

Health officials say the current spike in cases may subside in the coming weeks. leaders of organizations who are now postponing the events I hope to resume live performances when this happens.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra announced Wednesday that it is postponing its screening of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1,” complete with live score, from this weekend until April. The Film Score Series events are among the orchestra’s most popular programs.

The SLSO canceled two concerts earlier this month, postponed another and changed the program of another to a chamber music format, due to an unknown number of musicians quarantined after being in close contact with someone who tested positive for the virus.

The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries have postponed Saturday’s performance by singer Dianne Reeves to April. The Repertory Theater in St. Louis has moved its production of “The 39 Steps,” which was scheduled to begin performances this weekend, to April. She is continuing rehearsals for her next show, which is still scheduled to open in February.

The St. Louis Art Museum will be closed until February due to coronavirus cases among its staff.

The series of reports recalled some of the early days of the pandemic, when local authorities instituted bans on public gatherings to slow the spread of the virus.

“I could go back to writing 2020 on my checks. It’s such deja vu,” said Edward Coffield, artistic director of the New Jewish Theatre.

The company was set to present its first full production since the pandemic began, with performances of “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” set to begin on Friday. The show will move to February at the earliest.

The disruptions are tough for organizations that have recently started producing events again after a long layoff.

Moonstone Theater presented its very first production in November and was planning another to start on February 17. The revised date is March 24.

Moonstone Producing’s artistic director, Sharon Hunter, also founded the St. Louis Theater Community Task Force in 2020, a group of local artistic leaders who collaborated on reopening plans and safety protocols. She said it’s especially difficult to reschedule a show after you’ve begun the pre-production process.

“You have everything running and you employ people, you know, you work on designs and you work on everything,” she said. “It’s not easy, but I have to say it’s the right decision at the moment.”

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