'SNL' cancels its live audience, limits cast and crew due to Omicron variant

• "Saturday Night Live" canceled its live audience for its December 18 taping.

• The musical guest, Charli XCX, said she would no longer perform due to the show's limited crew.

• On Friday, New York officials announced a record 21,027 new COVID-19 cases and called it a "winter surge."

"Saturday Night Live" announced it would cancel its live audience for its December 18 taping and limit the cast and crew working on the show due to concerns over the Omicron coronavirus variant.

"Due to the recent spike in the Omicron variant and out of an abundance of caution, there will be no live audience for tonight's taping of 'Saturday Night Live' and the show will have limited cast and crew," the sketch comedy show announced on Twitter. "The show continues to follow all government safety guidelines in addition to a rigorous testing protocol."

Saturday's taping was set to be the last episode of the year and will feature the actor Paul Rudd as the host. Charli XCX was originally set to perform as the musical guest, but in a statement Saturday afternoon she said her scheduled performance would no longer occur due to the limited crew, adding she was "devastated and heartbroken" by the developments.

On Friday, officials in New York announced a record 21,027 new coronavirus cases and called it a "winter surge."

"SNL" wasn't the only live NYC performance affected by the COVID-19 surge. The Radio City Rockettes' "Christmas Spectacular" canceled all remaining 2021 shows and said ticket-holders would be refunded. Other Broadway shows, such as "Hamilton" and "Moulin Rouge! The Musical," also canceled performances in recent days.

"SNL" previously canceled its live audience and in-studio taping during the start of the pandemic in spring 2020, opting instead to film episodes remotely from cast members' homes. It resumed in-studio taping in late 2020.

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