Broadway actor Laura Osnes will no longer be performing in the “Disney Princess – The Concert” tour after not meeting the employer’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements. The two-time Tony nominee, who starred in the titular role of “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella” on Broadway, was also reportedly fired from a one-night-only concert in East Hampton, New York because she refused to be vaccinated. Osnes has stated she chose to leave the production voluntarily.
Christy Altomare has replaced Osnes in the Disney Princess tour, and Sierra Boggess replaced her for the East Hampton concert.
On an Instagram post, Osnes defended her decision to not get the COVID-19 vaccine, saying, “I believe individuals have the right to do the research, consult a doctor, and come to their own conclusions before deciding whether or not to get any injection.”
Osnes cited family planning as another reason for choosing to remain unvaccinated: “I stand by the decision my husband and I, with input from our physician, have made for ourselves, our family planning, and our future. There is so much that is still unknown.”
There is no medical evidence that the vaccine affects fertility or leads to miscarriages in pregnant people. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that pregnant people get the vaccine, especially because there are “severe outcomes from COVID-19 among unvaccinated pregnant people.”
Osnes’ stance on vaccinations has led to debates within the theater community: Javier Muñoz, who starred in “Hamilton” on Broadway, posted on Instagram highlighting his immunocompromisation living as a cancer survivor and HIV-positive person. “I won’t try to tell you what to do,” he wrote in an open letter to Osnes. “What I will do is stand by our industry mandating vaccinations for all cast members and crew...Ultimately I hope you reconsider. I truly do.”
Vaccinations + Masks Now Required to See a Broadway ShowIn response to Muñoz’s post, Tony-winning actor Tonya Pinkins responded on Twitter: “If @LauraOsnes died from the vaccine you wouldn’t care. Or is your comfort more important than her sovereignty?”
Pinkins then followed up her tweet with: “The best part of America is freedom of choice which is under threat. If you value it for yourself, value it for everyone.”
Muñoz responded to Pinkins on Twitter: “You are an artist and activist whom I deeply respect and admire. I’ve personally drawn strength and courage from hearing you speak publicly and your presence in our industry has at times kept me going. I thank you for sharing your thoughts and opinions with me.”
The Broadway League and Actors’ Equity Association has mandated that Broadway actors be vaccinated, with certain exceptions. Unvaccinated actors will need to be tested for COVID-19 twice a week and maintain social distancing and masking. The City of New York has also mandated vaccinations for anyone attending an indoor entertainment centers, restaurant, and gym; staff members of those institutions will also be required to be vaccinated.
On Aug. 23, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave full approval to the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, which will now be called the Comirnaty vaccine. “While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for emergency use authorization, as the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the public can be very confident that this vaccine [Comirnaty] meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product,” said Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock in a statement.
Pfizer was the first vaccine to submit itself for FDA approval. Moderna followed after and is currently awaiting approval. Johnson & Johnson has not yet submitted its application for full approval. All three vaccines have been operating under an Emergency Use Authorization, which allows health products to be released to the general public during public health emergencies without needing full FDA approval, which is a lengthier approval process than an EUA—though the vaccines still needed to be rigorously tested, monitored, and confirmed to be safe for general use prior to being released.