Patti Newton has missed the opening night of her new musical in Melbourne after she was struck down by COVID.
On New Year’s Eve, the 78-year-old shared a photo to her Instagram followers of herself lying in bed under a blanket, slipper-clad feet poking out the end.
“Happy New Year, hope it’s a wonderful 2024,” she captioned the post.
Stream the world’s best reality, entertainment and true crime shows for free on 7Bravo on 7plus >>
“COVID has hit me but wishing the cast of Grease an amazing first show.
“See you back there soon.”
Sunday was the opening night of Grease the Musical in Melbourne in which Newton is playing the role of Miss Lynch.
In September, Newton told The Morning Show about how appearing in stage productions had “kept her going” after losing her husband Bert.
“I wasn’t handling life very well after Bert (died),” she said.
“I didn’t know what to do, so when I got the role of the Bird Woman in Mary Poppins I thought: ‘Oh this will be lovely, Bert would love this’.”
Newton said she thought “that would be it,” but then she was driving one day when theatre producer John Frost called her and asked her to be Miss Lynch.
“It’s funny because when Bert did it (appeared in Grease) in 2013 they were thinking of using me and Bert was so thrilled and excited and then it didn’t happen, which was fine,” Newton said.
She said that the moment she got the call and was pondering the role, a yellow butterfly landed on her windscreen.
“That was a message from Bert, I’m sure. Saying: ‘Go for it girl, this will be good for you’,” she said.
“So that’s what I’m doing. I’m living life.”