After opening only on Broadway two months ago, The Heart of Rock and Roll, a musical rom-com based on songs by music legend Huey Lewis, will close on Sunday. As of April, the show will have played a total of 24 previews and 72 performances.
Set in the 1980s, The Heart of Rock and Roll tells the story of a young man named Bobby, played by Corey Cote, who works at a cardboard company in Milwaukee and must choose whether or not to return to his career as a musician. Lewis' classics “Hip to Be Square,” “Stuck With You” and “Do You Believe in Love” were featured throughout the show held at the James Earl Jones Theater in New York.
The Heart of Rock and Roll, directed by Gordon Greenberg and written by Jonathan A. Abrams, did not receive any Tony nominations.
In a statement, producer Hunter Arnold said, “It was a pure joy to work on the show with the creative team led by writer Jonathan A. Abrams, director Gordon Greenberg, choreographer Lorin Latarro, arranger and music arranger Brian Usifer and special thanks to the support and involvement of iconic music legend Huey Lewis.”
Arnold continued, “We are honored to have an amazing cast and crew who bring their tremendous enthusiasm, commitment and talent to every show. With our original cast album just released and talks of a national tour and international productions, the musical will continue to delight audiences for years to come.”
Despite receiving mostly positive reviews from critics, The Heart of Rock and Roll failed to perform at the box office. According Deadlinein the week ending June 9, the show reportedly grossed only $272,051, which is not a significant amount of money to cover a Broadway musical.
Lewis, 73, sat along Rolling rock in April and said that when he was approached about using his songs in the musical, he had his share of concerns about maintaining the integrity of his music. Finally, though, he saw The Heart of Rock and Roll as an opportunity to “broaden the boundaries of what song is and be open-minded in that way.”
“The story had a lot of parallels to my life, actually,” Lewis said. “The character is the same age I was when I started my band. I had a small daily wage and had started the News. I played in bands for 12 years. The News was pretty much my last download. So I have a sense of the angst, the ambition, the restlessness and all of that, just like Bobby does.”
The news about The Heart of Rock and Roll The closure comes at a time when Broadway is facing financial hurdles across the board. This is where love lies, a disco-themed musical about the rise and former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos, closed in November. In April, Kimberly Akimbo — a show about a teenage girl who ages rapidly due to a medical condition — was also shut down. Then in May after just one month of running, Lebicca — also booked a show for artist Tamara de Lempicka.
from our partners at https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-heart-of-rock-and-roll-huey-lewis-broadway-closing-1235041956/
