WILMINGTON — The showing of the UC-Alabama national championship semifinal football game Friday and Ohio State’s Rose Bowl game Saturday at the Murphy Theatre have both been canceled.

The decision was made “due to the recent spike in COVID cases nationwide, a larger than expected jump in the infection and hospitalization rates locally, and out of an abundance of caution and concern for our community, our theatre volunteers, and our staff,” Murphy Theatre Executive Director Steve Burnette stated Thursday afternoon.

The Murphy Theatre has also canceled Monday night’s debut of Smarty Pants Trivia, which will instead make its debut the first Monday night in February.

“We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate the incredible show of support from our community with our record breaking 2022 memberships,” said Burnette. “Wishing all a Happy New Year, and hoping we’ve done our part to make it a healthier start to 2022 as well.”