History of closing notices

[lucillefrank]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 8:27am

This is probably a stupid question, but has a show ever announced a closing date and then closed at a later date? Like because they started to do better financially or for whatever reason?

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 8:36am

Yes. It gets pushed back by a few weeks sometimes.

[lucillefrank]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 8:36am

Thank you! Can you think of any specific examples? I'm just curious.

[Buscee]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 8:37am

It has happened quite a few times. I remember going to see what was supposed to be the final performance of The Will Rogers Follies, and at the curtain calls LArry Gatlin and Mickey Rooney spoke. All of a sudden Marla Maples (who was pregnant at the time, and a former cast member) came running down to the stage saying EXTRA EXTRA. She said that the show was going to run I think 6 more weeks.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 8:48am

http://www.broadway.com/buzz/180513/you-can-dance-you-can-jive-mamma-mia-pushes-back-closing-date-on-broadway/

 

Also, I want to say the recent Ragtime revival? But I can't find a link. Updated On: 5/12/16 at 08:48 AM

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 8:52am

The original les mis and first revival. 

Newsies was supposed to play 100 perfs,, but was extended to an open run

 

[CindersGolightly]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 8:53am

Yes, the "Ragtime" revival extended a week (or two?) because they sold out the whole rest of the run after posting closing. I just wish they'd have recorded an album.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 9:05am

RENT was to close on Broadway in June 2008, and the date was later pushed back to September.

[After Eight]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 9:10am

In 1960, All the Way Home was supposed to close after one week. It rescinded the closing notice and ended up running over 300 performances. In was dubbed the Miracle on 44th St.

 

Other examples of rescinded closing dates were Urban Cowboy and A Chorus Line.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 9:26am

Cats also extended beyond its announced closing date.

[Crazy NooNooHead]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 10:10am

Mamma Mia closed a week later than it had originally announced, and I think the Spring Awakening revival extended a week or two. (I know I read about an extension; I just don't remember the specifics.) Lady Day... also extended a bunch of times.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 10:11am

I posted the Mamma Mia link upthread.

[funhamilton_rent]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 10:13am

Crazy NooNooHead said: "Mamma Mia closed a week later than it had originally announced, and I think the Spring Awakening revival extended a week or two. (I know I read about an extension; I just don't remember the specifics.) Lady Day... also extended a bunch of times.

 

" Spring Awakening was originally supposed to close on January 9, but they extended until January 24.

[gleek4114]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 10:17am

I think the OP is referring to shows that announce they are closing, only to extend by some amount of time. Not a show like Newsies or Lady Day that never publicizes an absolute date of closure, those shoes likely had built in extensions and in the case of Newsies the option of having an open ended run of things went well. I think situations like Ragtime and Mamma Mia are what the OP was looking for.

[lucillefrank]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 10:51am

^^^ Yes I was looking for open-ended runs that announced a specific date to close and then did so at a later date, not limited runs. Thank you all! It's very interesting.

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 1:21pm

The original New York Les Miserables announced a closing of March 15, 2003, and later extended to May 18, 2003. 

 

http://www.playbill.com/article/bway-les-miz-lives-one-day-more-extending-to-may-18-com-111288

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 1:22pm

Thanks for the link.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 3:24pm

The original Broadway production of Hair was originally announced to close May 21, 1972, but the closing notice came down, and went back up several more times. It played six more weeks before finally closing on July 1.

[lovebwy]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 4:25pm

All the Way Home playwright Tad Mosel had a story. He said All the Way Home was doing terrible at the box office. During its first week, a closing notice was put up on Saturday afternoon. He said in those days that a theater had until Tuesday at noon to rescind he notice and keep the show going.

He said that Sunday night, Ed Sullivan mentioned the play on his show. Sure enough, ticket sales exploded and the notice was taken down.

He claimed that for many weeks of he run, closing notices were put up on Saturday, only to be taken down on Tuesday morning, to give the producers the option to consider the weekend sales.

The show wound up closing on September 16, 1961 after 10 months and 333 performances.

(This is all in an Archive of American Television interview he did in 2002 or so. Very interesting man)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 6:39pm

The Bernadette "Gypsy" posted a closing notice, then sales increased enough that they went back to being an open ended run, before finally closing a few months after they initially announced they would. 

Posted: 5/12/16 at 8:00pm

There was also the fantasticks off Broadway. They had been running forever and then announced a closing date, then someone funded them so they were able to continue running 

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 9:42pm

 Did someone really fund  them? The cast is still having trouble cashing their paychecks. Some think that was all a publicity stunt.

Updated On: 5/12/16 at 09:42 PM

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 5/12/16 at 10:04pm

From a NYTimes article about the Fantastiks.. 4/25/15/

"About that closing of “The Fantasticks”: Never mind.

The producers of the long-running Off-Broadway staple, who announced last month that they would close the show in early May, said on Saturday that two unnamed fans had contributed enough money to keep it open indefinitely. .....The Fantasticks” has had near-death experiences before – in 2002, it closed, after 17,162 performances over 42 years, only to reopen in 2006.

........ has now reversed course.

“Two individuals who are longtime fans of the show have come forward indicating that they will contribute financially to keep the show going, and she has accepted their offers,” the show’s spokesman, Daniel DeMello, said. He said that, for the moment, the donors were choosing to remain anonymous."

[Crazy NooNooHead]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 12:35am

neonlightsxo said: "I posted the Mamma Mia link upthread."

So you did. Sorry for the repeat.

[Crazy NooNooHead]

Posted: 5/13/16 at 12:36am

funhamilton_rent said: "Crazy NooNooHead said: "Mamma Mia closed a week later than it had originally announced, and I think the Spring Awakening revival extended a week or two. (I know I read about an extension; I just don't remember the specifics.) Lady Day... also extended a bunch of times.

 

" Spring Awakening was originally supposed to close on January 9, but they extended until January 24."

Thanks! I remembered the date it actually closed, but not the date it was originally scheduled to close.