‘Bandstand’ to Close Next Month on Broadway

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“Bandstand,” a swing-inspired Broadway musical set after World War II, will end its run on Sept. 17 after 166 performances.

The musical was directed and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler, who won a Tony this June for the show’s choreography. His victory, combined with the cast’s high-energy performance on the Tonys broadcast, provided a momentary bump in ticket sales, with grosses peaking at $642,594 the week of June 18. But sales have declined steadily since, with the show earning just 51 percent of its gross potential last week. The production did not recoup its initial investment of $13.5 million.

“We always knew that it would be difficult to find an audience, because it wasn’t branded material,” Tom Smedes, the lead producer, said in an interview. “We seem to have gotten lost in the noise.”

“Bandstand” premiered at the Paper Mill Playhouse in 2015 and opened on Broadway this April. (In her review for The Times, Alexis Soloski called it an “an undercooked slice of apple pie.”) The musical depicts the life of soldiers returning home from war and turning to swing music as a reprieve. Laura Osnes and Corey Cott starred; Richard Oberacker wrote the music and Robert Taylor and Mr. Oberacker wrote the book and lyrics.

The cast’s performance on the Tonys was introduced by Jill Biden, who paid tribute to veterans returning home. A tour of the musical is currently in the works.

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