Tupac Musical Set To Close After Six Weeks On Broadway
“I was unable to sustain this production longer in order to give it time to bloom on Broadway", says producer E.L. Gold...
Having only been on Broadway for six weeks at the Palace Theatre, the Tupac Shakur musical “Holler If Ya Hear Me” will be giving its last performance on Sunday.
The show, which was inspired by the late rapper’s music, was unable to attract enough of an audience in it’s first six weeks to keep the $8million show in business.
“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 opened to mixed reviews from the outset, with only 45 percent of the seats filled last week, 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 hoping 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.”
Starring Saul Williams and directed by Tony winner Kenny Leon, there were high hopes for the out-of-the-box idea.
“The cast, musicians, production and creative teams gave more than just their professional excellence but contributed their passion as well.”
“Tupac’s urgent socially important insights and the audiences’ nightly rousing standing ovations deserve to be experienced by the world.”