Grey Gardens the Musical closes on July 29

It's not just Mary Louise Wilson who's leaving the musical on that date; the entire musical is closing. There was some unconfirmed buzz about that this weekend, and now it's been confirmed by a number of sources.

Here's a run-down of a few headlines:

From Broadway World, on 2 July 2007

Grey Gardens to Close at the Walter Kerr on July 29

From In the Wings, by Peter D. Kramer, on 2 July 2007

Jerry likes my corn... until July 29

From Newsday, by Roger Kahn, on 2 July 2007

Broadway's 'Grey Gardens' to close at end of month

And Variety outlined it all very well:

From Variety, by Gordon Cox, on 2 July 2007

'Grey Gardens' ends run in July

Show set to close despite recent announcement

Rialto tuner “Grey Gardens” won’t make it beyond July 29 -- despite a recent announcement stating otherwise.

Producers decided over the weekend to shutter the musical, which took home three Tonys in June, when co-star Mary Louise Wilson departs the show at the end of July. Late last week, the announcement of Wilson’s final perf date said the production would continue with topliner Christine Ebersole.

“Gardens” has gotten a decent boost at the b.o. since the trophies (both Wilson and Ebersole won thesping kudos, while William Ivey Long picked up a statue for costumes). For the week ending June 24, receipts totalled $465,615 and auds were at 86% capacity.

In general, however, “Gardens” has struggled to pull in crowds since it opened in November. Kelly Gonda, prexy of “Gardens” producing org East of Doheny, called the oncoming summer months an “uphill challenge.”

Based on the 1975 doc by Albert and David Maysles, “Grey Gardens” follows a mother-daughter pair of East Coast aristocrats, relatives of Jacqueline Kennedy, who ended up living in a squalid mansion in East Hampton. With music by Scott Frankel, lyrics by Michael Korie and book by Doug Wright, the show opened in spring 2006 at Playwrights Horizons, where it extended three times before it was picked up for a commercial Broadway transfer.

Although the musical itself got a mixed reception, Ebersole’s dual-role lead performance, playing the mother in one act and the daughter in the second, scored universal raves from the press. Wilson’s turn as the mother in the second half also garnered strong reviews.

When it closes, the show will have played 307 perfs and 33 previews.

Producers of “Gardens” are planning a London production for the 2007-08 season, with Ebersole in the title role.

If you want to see the show (and if New York City is more convenient for you than London), be sure to go to TeleCharge right away!

Thanks to all those who wrote in about this.

Source: here, here, here, and here