Xanadu to Close Two Weeks Early

In a surprising move, the producers of the Broadway musical Xanadu have announced that the show will shutter two weeks earlier than expected. Last week, the show posted its closing notice, and was scheduled to end its run on October 12th. But now Xanadu will close this Sunday, September 28th.

The producers have explained that they want to stem any undue losses based on the uncertain economic climate. Since the end of Whoopi Goldberg's recent stint in the show, its weekly grosses have dropped about 40%, down to the show's pre-Tony levels, but certainly not below. The show has actually had a few weeks in its history during which it has grossed a bit less that it has over the past two weeks. So, yeah, it's not as though the show is raking in the cash, but depending on the show's weekly "nut," it could still be making money.

Things have admittedly been pretty soft on Broadway in general over the past few weeks, although there are still at least 5 shows that are pulling in around $1 million a week (Wicked, Jersey Boys, The Lion King, South Pacific and Mamma Mia). So the economic situation isn't that bad, at least not yet. And I can't imagine that all those now-out-of-work investment bankers and Wall Street hot shots were spending their expense-account dollars on Xanadu, at least not the straight ones. 

Well, whatever the real cause of the Xanadu's premature closure, I for one am seriously bummed, and I'm really glad I got a chance to see it an unprecedented (for me) three times. Xanadu librettist Douglas Carter Beane has recently been working on at least two new musical efforts, Dancing in the Dark and The Big Time. The former appears to be stalled after a bumpy tryout in San Diego, but the latter is still a going concern, currently aiming for a Broadway bow in 2010. I greatly look forward to watching how this intelligent, funny, and talented man helps to shape the future of the musical stage.

Comments

[paul]

Phooey.

[Justin]

Will you be catching it a 4th time on your weekend trip to nyc?

[Lisa]

dont leave i love this play!!!!!!

[Chris Caggiano]

Justin: Alas, no. This is my all-plays-no-musicals weekend, and I already have my tickets for Equus, All My Sons, The Seagull, and To Be or Not to Be.

BTW, you and I are actually going to be at the same performance of All My Sons. I'm in center orchestra, if you want to say hi.

[Justin]

Excellent, we must do a chit chat at intermission!