Looks like some prime Broadway real estate is about to become available.
“Holler if Ya Hear Me,” the Tupac Shakur musical that opened Thursday at the Palace, may throw in the towel Sunday, production sources say. The show — henceforth to be known as “Holler If Anybody Buys a Ticket” — took in a measly $170,000 last week, making it the lowest-grossing show on Broadway.
Constructed around Shakur’s poems and lyrics, the production had a disastrous preview period, sources say, losing hundreds of thousands of dollars, and it was rumored it would close before opening night. But it hauled itself across the finish line, only to receive mixed reviews. Critics appreciated its attempt to pull the jukebox musical out of the baby-boomer mire (“Jersey Boys,” “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”) but believed its storytelling was heavy-handed.
Its impending demise is a rare setback for director Kenny Leon, who picked up a Tony three weeks ago for “A Raisin in the Sun.”
Broadway insiders doubt a rap musical can make it on Broadway, especially without a star above the title.
“There is no demographic for this show,” says a veteran producer. “Middle-aged women buy the bulk of tickets, and they’re listening to ‘Tapestry,’ not ‘All Eyez on Me.’ ”
Speculation has now turned to which show will snap up the Palace in the fall. Two candidates spring to mind.
“Honeymoon in Vegas,” starring Tony Danza, has lined up the Brooks Atkinson. But that’s a small house, and the show could make a lot more money at the Palace. Its producers may face some tough competition from Harvey Weinstein, who’s on the prowl for a theater for his “Finding Neverland,” which starts previews soon at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Mass. If the buzz and the reviews are good, “Neverland” could easily alight on the Palace.
Speaking of buzz: It’s pretty good on “The Last Ship,” the Sting musical opening Wednesday in Chicago. I heard a few songs and while they were accomplished, they all sounded alike — sad, gritty, muted.
But a spy who saw the show says the songs are well-orchestrated and surprisingly varied. The show is depressing — it’s about the collapse of the shipbuilding business in Newcastle, England (not exactly “Please, sir I want some more!”) — but it has plenty of humor and is quite moving. My spy likens it to “Billy Elliot.”
Look for Chris Jones’ review in the Chicago Tribune on Thursday.