After only six weeks of performances at the Palace Theater, the Tupac Shakur musical “Holler If Ya Hear Me” will be closing down production on Sunday.
Unfortunately, the Broadway show, which is inspired by the late rapper’s music and lyrics, was unable to attract enough theater patrons to keep the $8 million show afloat.
“I was unable to sustain this production longer in order to give it time to bloom on Broadway,” lead producer Eric L. Gold said in a statement.
The show, which opened to mixed reviews in mid-June, never brought in more than $175,000 per week in gross revenues, making it one of Broadway’s worst-selling musicals in recent years, according to the New York Times.
Last week, only 45 percent of the show’s seats were occupied, resulting in the subpar gross of $154,948, according to The Times.
“If we don’t succeed, it’s going to be difficult to do another rap or hip hop show on Broadway,” Gold told Variety last week when vowing to keep the show open. “It’s an expensive game, and I’m the guy carrying the load financially. I made a rookie mistake by underestimating how much capital was necessary, but I’m tenacious.”
There were high hopes for “Holler,” which starred Saul Williams and was directed by Tony Award winner Kenny Leon, best known for “A Raisin in the Sun,” but critics panned the storyline for being to clichéd.
“We are so proud to be a part of this ground-breaking production,” Gold said. “The cast, musicians, production and creative teams gave more than just their professional excellence but contributed their passion as well.”
“My hope is that a production of this caliber, powerful in its story-telling, filled with great performances and exciting contemporary dance and music will eventually receive the recognition it deserves,” he continued. “Tupac’s urgent socially important insights and the audiences’ nightly rousing standing ovations deserve to be experienced by the world.”
No Comments