Shows Closing

[moowithme85]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 9:17am

How far in advance do shows usually announce that they are closing? And how do you normally find out? I'm assuming other sites would list it before it shows up on the BWW main page...

Thanks!

[TonyVincent]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 9:33am

It's usually proportional to how long it's been open. Rent announced its closing 4-6 months before its initial closing date, then extended a few months from there. Flops can get cancelled between performances with no notice (see: Glory Days).

For the average show that runs for about a year, I'd say about a month on average. They want to capitalize on the "ooh, I need to see this before it closes" crowd.

[TreyKenyon]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 9:34am

There's really no set timeline for closing announcements. It's very dependent on each individual show. For instance, 9to5 and Avenue Q both had announcements a few months in advance. On the other hand, I believe the recent revival of Guys & Dolls announced its closing just a week or so before it actually closed.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 9:40am

There are rare instances of shows closing during intermission. Ask Patti LuPone about a play called WOMAN IN CHAINS. Her character didn't appear until the second act and when Joe Papp decided to close the show mid-way, she never got on stage.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 10:15am

^I'd never heard that story! Thanks, Dollypop!


Anywhere between 2 weeks and a month would fall under "the norm". But the above poster is right....a very long running show is likely to give further notice...but not always.

It DOES make advance plans tough, but there isn't much you can do about it.

(and yes, they refund the money of those that have purchased tickets past the closing date.)

[TimesSquareRegular]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 10:28am

I think I'm remembering this correctly: PIPPIN announced on either late Thursday or early Friday that the Sunday performance would be the closing one.

[Producer2]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 11:39am

Dollypop, I recall Dixie Carter telling the "woman in chains" story at the 1999 Tony Awards and she was the woman in chains.
Dixie also shared that Mandy Patinkin was in it too and Joe Papp closed it at intermission. Never heard about Patti!

[saveusmike]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 11:48am

I remember I had tickets for Reasons to be Pretty and when I got to the theatre was treated to a sign that said "reasons to be pretty played its final performance..."

So sometimes they take a little too long to announce it :p

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 12:17pm

reasons to be pretty announced its closing about five days in advance. They waited a day after the Tonys to see if they could get a bump in advance sales from that 8 second video clip that was played.

[AwesomeDanny]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 2:31pm

To answer about where to find out about shows closing, you can just look on broadwayworld.com, playbill.com, etc. It's usually the big featured article at the top of the page.

[moowithme85]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 5:41pm

Thanks for the info, all.

And the 8 second video clip of Reasons to Be Pretty at the Tony's made me want to see the show...

[CAX]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 7:27pm

Reasons to be Pretty was a waste of time.

[snowskittle]

Posted: 9/12/09 at 9:55pm

I've never heard of "Woman in Chains". Was the half show the only performance it ever had?

I wonder if the audience was entitled to a refund.