Disney Theatrical Productions has announced that they are bringing the hit musical to the road in October, two months after its Broadway closure.
- June 23, 2014
AceShowbiz -
"Newsies" will close on August 24 at the Nederlander Theatre after two and a half years, so it's announced on Sunday, June 22. The Broadway musical, which was an unexpected hit, has helped Disney Theatrical Productions earn over $100 million during its run.
"Newsies" is based on a 1992 movie that performed disappointingly at the box office. It opened in March 2012 after a critically-acclaimed try-out at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse. That year, the play earned eight Tony nominations and won two of them. The lead actor, Jeremy Jordan (II), became a household name and earned gigs on NBC's "Smash" and new musical "Finding Neverland".
Disney did not cite any reason of closing the show, although it had become obvious that ticket sales were slowing down. However, the musical is far from over. Disney will launch a North American tour for "Newsies" in October 2014, aiming to hit 25 cities over 43 weeks.
"From our first performance, we have been humbled by the spontaneous and genuine outpouring of affection from fans and the theatre community alike," Disney Theatrical Productions head Thomas Schumacher said in a press release. "Alan and Jack's tuneful, rousing score, Harvey's timely book, Chris' muscular choreography and Jeff's cinematic staging merged seamlessly to become a glorious work in the proudly classic Broadway tradition. When our tour launches in October, I'm thrilled that audiences across North America will be able to experience the adrenaline rush that is 'Newsies'."
