Many were predicting the imminent demise of Legally Blonde, and it turns out they were right. The show has posted a closing notice, and will play its last Broadway performance on October 19th after 595 performances and 30 previews.
The show's weekly grosses dropped by about 50% after Labor Day, shortly after original star Laura Bell Bundy was replaced by MTV reality show winner Bailey Hanks. But the pinking of American theaters isn't over yet: the show just launched a national tour, which I'll be catching next month in Boston.
Although I wasn't exactly wild about Legally Blonde (read my review here), I did appreciate the fact that it was luring younger theatergoers. But there are certainly other shows on Broadway right now that are attracting younger audiences, and Legally Blonde's departure actually makes room for a couple of upcoming productions.
In fact, the vultures have been circling Legally Blonde, virtually rooting for it to close. The impending West Side Story revival has long been slated for a Nederlander theater, but until now the only one available was the Nederlander Theatre itself, the former longtime home of Rent. But West Side Story director and librettist Arthur Laurents apparently wasn't thrilled with the idea: the Nederlander is kind of seedy, and it's way down on 41st Street. (Practically Siberia, y'know.) Legally Blonde's closure makes available the ultra-desirable and centrally located Palace Theater, a much grander place to showcase Laurents' other masterpiece.
Which means the Nederlander Theatre will likely house the Broadway transfer of the Public Theater's production of Hair. Apparently the folks at the Public have been salivating at the prospect: the funky Nederlander would be the perfect indoor locale for their dynamic and well-received production. (Read my review here.) So, despite the uncertain economic times, there's still no shortage of productions looking for a Broadway berth.
At least for now.
From what I understand, Guys and Dolls is taking the Nederlander. The theater won't be seedy for long. Renovations began almost immediately after Rent moved out.
Posted by: Jason | October 01, 2008 at 12:13 AM