Broadway musical “A Tale of Two Cities” will shutter Nov. 16 after a wobbly few months at the box office.
Since it began previews Aug. 19, weekly grosses for the show have never topped $450,000. During the frame that ended Nov. 2, the production took in $303,755 and played to auds at about 45% of capacity.
Show’s closing announcement cited the economic downturn as a factor that contributed to disappointing sales. Exec produced by Barbra Russell and Ron Sharpe, the musical likely lost nearly all of its $16 million capitalization costs.
The adaptation of the Charles Dickens novel, set during the French Revolution, was created by legit tyro Jill Santoriello, who penned the music, lyrics and book.
“Tale” tried out last year at the Asolo Repertory Theater in Sarasota, Fla. Helmed and choreographed by Warren Carlyle, production opened Sept. 18 in Gotham, where critical reception was largely downbeat.
Now the musical will gear up for a future national tour, according to a rep for the show.
Shuttering leaves the Al Hirschfeld Theater up for grabs, although the incoming revival of “Hair” is said to be a potential tenant.
