Entertainment

Trey Anastasio’s ‘Hands on a Hardbody’ about to close?

Broadway is about to be gripped by spring fever, with 15 openings scheduled between now and the cutoff date for Tony Award nominations at the end of April.

Shia LaBeouf’s “Orphans” meltdown notwithstanding, the gossip vines were pretty quiet this past winter. But, praise the gods of the theater, they’re starting to hum again.

This is what I’m hearing:

It’s the junkyard for “Hands on a Hardbody” — and sooner rather than later. The musical, which has a score by Trey Anastasio, Mr. Phish, is hanging by its fingernails at the Brooks Atkinson. It had its best week last week — $211,000 — which, alas, is almost $250,000 below its running cost.

The vultures are predicting a closing notice within two weeks.

“They can’t lose a quarter of a million dollars a week for very long,” says a veteran producer.

It’s cold comfort, but “Hands on Hardbody” will go down as a noble failure. Based on the 1997 documentary about a bunch of poor people who compete to win a truck by keeping their hands on it for as long as possible, the musical received respectful reviews.

Tony nominators and voters who’ve seen it say there’s much to admire — Anastasio and Amanda Green’s score, for one, as well as first-rate performances from Keith Carradine, Hunter Foster and Jacob Ming-Trent. But voters grow weary of the static nature of the piece. One after another, the contestants step forward and sing of their hopes and dreams, and then put their hands back on the truck.

Around Broadway they’re calling the show “the redneck ‘A Chorus Line.’ ”

“Hands on a Hardbody” should pick up several Tony nominations. Too bad it won’t be around to enjoy them.

Another show insiders think will be nothing but a Playbill by Tony night is “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” It received the worst reviews of 2013, though that’s only because Frank Wildhorn’s “Jekyll & Hyde” hasn’t opened yet.

Given its well-known title and nude star — Emilia Clarke — “Tiffany’s” is in better shape than “Hardbody.” It grossed about $360,000 last week. With tourists coming to town in the next few months, it should be able to hang on for a bit. But it’s a big show with a weekly nut of more than $400,000. And when those 15 other new shows start to pop: “It’s going to sag under its own weight,” one producer says.

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” won’t get any Tony nominations. It will just slink away on little cat’s feet.

On cheerier fronts, everybody’s raving about Tom Hanks as Mike McAlary in Nora Ephron’s “Lucky Guy,” which opens Monday. Since every VIP in New York claimed to be Ephron’s best friend, opening-night ticketing is a nightmare, production sources say. Some boldface names may find themselves in the balcony. (I’ll wave to you.)

But Hanks’ performance, I’m told, is not to be missed. Mr. Nice Guy in the movies, he’s embraced the unlikable (and the unethical) side of the New York tabloid columnist. Hanks is fast emerging as the man to beat at the Tonys. His only competition is Nathan Lane in “The Nance.” But Nathan’s already got two Tonys, so voters will probably be delighted to give the award to the biggest movie star on Broadway this season.

“He is definitely earning it,” says one voter.

And as I predicted last month (ahem), “Lucky Guy” will open with an advance of $10 million, putting Hanks in the Julia RobertsDaniel CraigHugh Jackman club.

There’s magic being done at “Pippin” at the Music Box. The advance sale for Stephen Schwartz’s beloved 1970 musical is closing in on $5 million. This is the first Broadway revival of “Pippin,” and it seems that everybody who ever did it in high school is turning out to see it.

I went on record predicting the boisterous revival of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood” would win the Tony this year. But “Drood” wrapped up its limited run three weeks ago, and will be a dim but happy memory in June.

“Pippin” will take the crown.