The new musical that tells the story of the tumultuous life of the man who composed the hymn "Amazing Grace," will have played 24 previews and 114 regular performances at the Nederlander Theatre.
It arrived on Broadway after an out-of-town Chicago try-out last fall. The musical struggled at the box office since previews began June 25. For the week ending Sept. 13, Amazing Grace had its best week on Broadway, taking in only $332,663 out of a possible $1,097,840.
"With the cost of a Broadway ticket, the piece needs to be excellent, and worth people's time and money," she show's producer, Carolyn Rossi Copeland, told 半岛体育.com last spring. "We saw it in Chicago. People of all backgrounds came to the theatre and left entertained and uplifted."
In a statement announcing the show's closing, Copeland expressed dissapointment in the show's box office performance on Broadway. "We are incredibly disappointed in the show鈥檚 performance at the box office on Broadway. Our successful engagement in Chicago led us to make the decision to bring Amazing Grace to Broadway. The audiences who do come leave the theater uplifted, and we are honored to have introduced the important story of John Newton to the Broadway community. John Newton鈥檚 story of redemption resulted in him being the first abolitionist in the British Empire. I look forward to bringing this story of hope and redemption to audiences around the country with our upcoming national tour." (Troika Entertainment will present the tour.)
The musical was written by newcomer , a self-taught musician who was a former police officer and a youth outreach and education director in Pennsylvania.
In addition to the title song, the show has music and lyrics by Smith, who co-wrote the book with .
Directed by (鈥檚 The Wild Party) and choreographed by Tony Award winner (), the cast is headed by Tony nominee , Tony nominee Tom Hewitt, , Tony Award winner , , Stanley Bahorek, , , and .
The ensemble features , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Toni Elizabeth White and .
Amazing Grace is described as a "new original musical based on the awe-inspiring true story behind the world鈥檚 most beloved song. A captivating tale of romance, rebellion and redemption, this radiant production follows one man whose incredible journey ignited a historic wave of change. John Newton (Tony Award nominee Josh Young), a willful and musically talented young Englishman, faces a future as uncertain as the turning tide. Coming of age as Britain sits atop an international empire of slavery, he finds himself torn between following in the footsteps of his father 鈥� a slave trader 鈥� or embracing the more compassionate views of his childhood sweetheart (Erin Mackey). Accompanied by his slave, Thomas (Tony Award winner Chuck Cooper), John embarks on a perilous voyage on the high seas. When that journey finds John in his darkest hour, a transformative moment of self-reckoning inspires a blazing anthem of hope that will finally guide him home."
The creative team also includes and (scenic design), Toni-Leslie James (costume design), and (lighting design), (sound design), (hair design), David Leong (fight and military movement), Gillian Lane-Plescia (dialect coach), (orchestrations), (music coordinator) and (music director, arranger, incidental music).
Amazing Grace is produced by Carolyn Rossi Copeland and Alexander Rankin.
Tickets for Amazing Grace are on sale via or by calling (877) 250-2929. Ticket prices range from $65-$139 (all prices include a $2.00 facility fee).
