The new Broadway musical “Hands on a Hardbody†will close after this Saturday evening’s performance, the producers announced on Monday night, succumbing to weak ticket sales after opening on March 21 to mixed reviews.When it closes the production will have played 28 previews and 28 regular performances.
The show, about down-on-their-luck Texans competing in an endurance contest to win a new truck, also suffered in comparison to several other Broadway musicals that have more obvious selling points: “Kinky Boots†has a score by pop superstar Cyndi Lauper and “Motown†has classic hits aplenty. “Matilda†is based on a beloved story by Roald Dahl, while “Pippin†has a following thanks to Bob Fosse’s original Broadway staging and 40 years of subsequent productions at high schools and colleges.
“Hands on a Hardbody,†meanwhile, has music by Trey Anastasio (of the indie band Phish) and Amanda Green, lyrics by Ms. Green, and a book by Pulitzer Prize winner Doug Wright (“I Am My Own Wifeâ€); the production was directed by Neil Pepe. The musical had its world premiere last spring at La Jolla Playhouse, where several positive reviews encouraged the producers to finance the transfer to Broadway.
The total cost of mounting “Hands on a Hardbody†on Broadway has not been revealed, and the producers also did not say on Monday whether the show would close at a total loss to investors, which appears likely. The musical grossed only $240,040 for eight performances last week, or about 22 percent of the maximum possible amount - almost certainly not enough to cover its weekly running costs
