Orphans will be ending its Broadway run six weeks earlier than originally planned, the play’s producers said.
The production, which stars Alec Baldwin, Ben Foster, and Tom Sturridge, will have its final performance on May 19 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater. It was originally scheduled to run through June 30.
The announcement that the show would be packing up early came just days after the play received two Tony Award nominations: one for best leading actor (Sturridge), and one for best play revival.
According to The New York Times , ticket sales averaged about $600,000 during the preview performances , which began on March 26. However, when the play opened — to mixed reviews from critics — on April 18, sales dropped. The first week’s box office totaled $444,469; last week, it dropped to $397,646.
The weekly operating cost for the show is around $320,000.
Orphans has had some bad press the last few months. In February, about a month before previews began, Shia LaBeouf dropped out of the play due to “creative differences.” LaBeouf was supposed to make his Broadway debut as Treat in the Lyle Kessler play, but was replaced by Ben Foster.
After his departure, LaBeouf released a few emails between himself, Baldwin, Sturridge, and director Daniel Sullivan. Baldwin, however, wasn’t interested in what the Transformers star had to say .
“I can tell you that, in all honesty, I don’t think he’s in a good position to be giving interpretations of what the theater is and what the theater isn’t. I mean, he was never in the theater,” Baldwin said. “He came into a rehearsal room for six or seven days and, uh — you know, sometimes film actors — I mean, there are people who are film actors who have a great legacy in the theater. Some of the greatest movie stars had really serious theater careers and still do.”
Orphans follows two brothers living in a row house in North Philadelphia. The older brother, Treat (Foster), decides to kidnap a wealthy man (Baldwin) who becomes a father figure to the boys.
Are you surprised Orphans is ending its run early?