A Broadway actor in Disney’s hit musical “The Little Mermaid”
fell through a trap door on the deck of a suspended boat, just before the
Saturday morning performance, said a spokesman for the production company,
according to the New York Times.
Adrian Bailey, 51, was walking across the deck of the boat
to get to his place for the opening number, “Fathoms Below,” when he fell 20
feet through the trapdoor that had been accidentally left open, theater sources
said. The Fire Department said it had received reports that a man had fallen 30
to 40 feet in the theater.
The actor broke his both wrists in the fall and was taken to
Bellevue Hospital Center, and the performance started one hour later. As the
curtain had not been raised yet, no one in the audience witnessed the fall.
Bailey is an ensemble member who plays various roles during
the musical, show spokesman Chris Boneau said. He previously acted in “La Cage
aux Folles,” “Smokey Joe’s Café” and “The Who’s Tommy.”
Boneau also said the crew performed safety checks on the
boat in the afternoon and in the evening after the show, to make sure the set
could be used again without problems.
“The Little Mermaid” opened at the theater in January,
telling the story of a mermaid who falls in love with a human and wants to live
on land, so that she can be with him.
On the opening night of musical in January, Bailey received
the Actors Equity “gypsy robe,” which is adorned with appliqués from other Broadway
shows and is awarded to a show’s cast member who has the most chorus credits.
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