[title]
There aren’t many sure things in theater, but this one is fairly solid: In the week after the Tony Awards, shows will close. Due to anemic box office and lack of prizes won that glitzy night, struggling plays and musicals simply can’t hack it any more and close up shop. Even if they had a chance to advertise their wares on national TV—as The Visit and Gigi did with their live performances—it may not be enough to tip the scales. And so the aforementioned two just posted closing notices: The Visit on Sunday and Gigi on June 21. We weren’t huge fans of either, but now’s your chance to catch them before they’re history.
What else might drop off in the coming weeks? On the Town and It Shoulda Been You have been not doing great business—68% and 65% full houses, respectively, last week. By contrast, producers for Hand to God, which came away from the Tonys empty-handed, just extended its run through late January 2016. Let’s hope that decision is based on real advance ticket sales and not just a marketing ploy.
Then there are shows that were already limited runs, or announced closing dates before the Tonys. Don’t say we didn’t warn you about Skylight (June 21); The Audience (June 28); Wolf Hall: Parts One & Two (July 5); Fish in the Dark (July 18); On the Twentieth Century (July 19); An Act of God (Aug 2) and Mamma Mia! (Sept 12). If you want to see one or more of these (even if you’re on a budget), summer just got a lot busier.