Steve Martin postpones Strip shows for ‘rampant’ COVID

Steve Martin and Martin Short’s co-headlining shows scheduled for at Encore Theater on Friday and Saturday night were abruptly postponed Wednesday afternoon. Martin himself announced on social media “rampant COVID in our crew and one other essential guy” as the reason.

The essential guy might be Martin himself, or Short. The performance titled “You Won’t Believe What They Look Like Today!” also featured music director Jeff Babko and the Steep Canyon Rangers bluegrass band.

Dear fans and enemies,

Unfortunately, our sold-out shows at the Wynn in Las Vegas this Friday and Saturday has to be postponed because of rampant Covid in our crew and one other essential guy. We are sorry for any inconvenience, but we are moving to mid-December, where your…

— Steve Martin (@SteveMartinToGo) September 21, 2023

Martin started his note with “Dear fans and enemies, and said the shows were sold out, and would be moved to mid-December” where your tickets will be honored with an added ‘date-moving tax’ of nine thousand dollars.”

That is either a joke or an exaggeration.

Martin-Short performance was the second big-ticket Strip production to cancel for COVID. Jimmy Kimmel announced Thursday his “Strike Force Three” show at Dolby Live at Park Theater was being postponed, because he caught COVID. Kimmel was to appear with fellow-talk show hosts Jimmy Fallon and Steven Colbert to raise money for their striking, out-of-work staffs.

Adele over the weekend said she is not taking selfies with fans during her shows at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

In a post from the U.K. music pub NME, citing Music News, she told the crowd Saturday, “Normally I would absolutely stop and chat and all of that and hear all about your life and be the nosy person that I am,” the superstar said. “However, hanging on by a threat tryn9g not to get COVID.”

The “Rolling In The Deep singer cited COVID-caused operational delays and staffing concerns as the reason she postponed her original “Weekends With Adele” dates in January 2022. She reopened in November, and is scheduled to conclude the run Nov. 4.

Adele has not missed a show since restarting her sold-out, critically acclaimed residency.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.