BETM Chicago Schedules January 15 Closing

[ERinVA]

Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Working Title Films and Old Vic Productions in association with Weinstein Live Entertainment are announcing, with Broadway In Chicago, that tickets for the final block of BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL in Chicago will go on sale Friday, July 16, 2010. After a successful 10-month run, BILLY ELLIOT will play its final Chicago performance on January 15, 2011. This final block of performances runs from October 26, 2010 through January 15, 2011 and includes popular holiday performances.

http://chicago.broadwayworld.com/articl ... e_20010101

If you have not seen the Chicago show, you really should before it closes. It is excellent!

According to Emily Skinner at the stage door, the current cast is likely to move to Toronto.

[Musical Fanatic]

This one is from Chicago Tribune
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/ ... nuary.html

[CJ-Rochester]

While I enjoyed the Chicago production, and feel it has an excellent cast, I think it will play better in Toronto. Even the largest of the Toronto theaters is at least 15% smaller than the one in Chicago. That will help give the show a more intimate feel, more like Broadway.

[Billy Whiz]

The announcement in Playbill

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/14 ... -in-Durham

[bandaide2012]

as a Chicagoan who has seen the show here 6 times and counting, I am so sad. I am not surprised, but having it be officially announced is heartbreaking. This production and cast are absolutely amazing and will be truly missed.

[ERinVA]

I loved the Chicago production! I think I liked it better in some ways than the NY one. Lucky Toronto!

[Musical Fanatic]

I loved the Chicago production! I think I liked it better in some ways than the NY one. Lucky Toronto!

I could not agree with you more Ellen. Their was a number of changes for the tour that I really liked.

[Todd]

Seems a little strange that it would be leaving after less than a year, considering it has been selling a lot of tickets I believe. At least the theater has been near capacity every time I've been there. "Wicked" played at the Oriental Theater for 3 and a half years so I figured BETM would last longer than the 9 or 10 months that it's going to end up being there.

[athadj]

Seems a little strange that it would be leaving after less than a year, considering it has been selling a lot of tickets I believe. At least the theater has been near capacity every time I've been there. "Wicked" played at the Oriental Theater for 3 and a half years so I figured BETM would last longer than the 9 or 10 months that it's going to end up being there.

Sorry to hear Chicago is closing. But can someone tell me, ussualy are long running shows (like Broadway or the West End) normal in Chicago and other US cities? I know for example that in Australia all the shows play for just a few months. The 10 months in Chicago sound just about right in that case.

[ERinVA]

In New York and London, shows can run as long as they keep filling seats. The Lion King and Wicked, for instance, have been running for years in both places. This happens to an extent in Chicago as well, with Wicked and Jersey Boys having had long sit-down runs there. But shows in Chicago are mostly considered touring productions, so they don't necessarily stay all that long. It's interesting that BETM's Chicago run is just about the same length as its runs in Sydney and Melbourne.