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One of our favorite shows of the past season, Pippin, just announced a Jan 4 closing. We’ll be sorry to see the circus leave town, but all good things must come to a you-know-what. The Stephen Schwartz classic will join a bunch of other Broadway shows that won't survive long into 2015. Is Broadway dying?!? Not a bit. This sort of thing happens every January, which tends to be a slow box-office month, and shows that have seen declining sales decide to cut their losses, or else end on a high note. Below we break down what’s closing in January and why.
Pippin
Last performance: Jan 4
Why it’s closing: After 709 performances and 37 previews, this revival will have had a respectable run. True, it pales in comparison to the original production’s nearly five-year stint, but not bad. At any rate, the accountant is happy; Pippin recouped its $8.5 million capitalization last December.
Once
Last performance: Jan 4
Why it’s closing: Don’t shed any tears for this moody heartbreaker. It was the little show that could and at the height of its popularity was pulling down more than a million bucks at a week. Everybody got serious bank on this one.
It’s Only a Play
Last performance: Jan 4
Why it’s closing: The only reason Terrence McNally’s lame ’80s comedy—about the opening night of a Broadway turkey—is a financial success is because of the starry cast and people who can’t tell okay from crap. Nathan Lane heroically carries the show, but even he must be counting down to the final bow of this limited run. Come February he’ll be appearing in a real play, the Chicago transfer of Eugene O’Neill’s The Iceman Cometh at BAM.
Cinderella
Last performance: Jan 3
Why it’s closing: Time to turn back into a pumpkin. There are just so many little girls who want to dress up like princesses and go to the theater.
The Real Thing
Last performance: Jan 4
Why it’s closing: Tom Stoppard’s brainy plays haven’t equalled box-office magic in decades, and anyway, this is a limited Roundabout Theatre Company run. While flawed, this revival is worth seeing; if it had to compete commercially with everything out there, though, who knows how long it would last.
The River
Last performance: Jan 25
Why it’s closing: Whaaat? The Hugh Jackman vehicle, a new play by Jerusalem scribe Jez Butterworth, hasn’t even opened yet! Yes, but Hugh must have piles of other projects pulling at him. This is a limited run. So get your tickets now.
This Is Our Youth
Last performance: Jan 4
Why it’s closing: Despite strong reviews and the combined celebrity wattage of Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin and Tavi Gevinson, the Broadway revival of Kenneth Lonergan’s slacker drama is not killing at the box office. In fact, last week they played to houses that were less than half-full. Sure it was always meant to be a limited run, but with numbers like that, we hope they can make it to Christmas.
Motown—The Musical
Last performance: Jan 18
Why it’s closing: This jukebox musical, based on the prodigious catalog of producer Berry Gordy, has been an audience favorite, with weekly grosses near or over a million a week. But it’s a massive production and probably has a big weekly “nut” (the cost of running it every week) to meet. Producers say they have plans “to return to the Great White Way at a Nederlander theater to be announced in July 2016.” We’re guessing that Motown 2.0 will be singing a smaller, more cost-effective tune.