‘Motown’ Musical Locks In Broadway Return for 2016
The musical “Motown” has set a theater and a timeframe for its Broadway return, mapping out an 18-week run that starts in July 2016 at the Nederlander Theater.
When the musical posted its closing notice for January 2015, it was always the plan for the musical to circle back to New York after launching a North American tour and starting up a run in London. “Motown” will make its way back in a retooled production that tamps down on the high running costs that plagued the show’s initial Broadway staging.
“Motown” was a strong box office performer from the moment it began previews in spring 2013, making a habit of posting grosses of more than $1 million a week. Sales softened slightly in subsequent months, but not by much, and it spent the final weeks of its run back in the millionaires’ club. The production recouped just before it bowed out.
The return of “Motown” has the potential to post similarly robust sales, given the timing that takes advantage of summer tourism and the global familiarity with Motown and its music.
Producers Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy have yet to lock in the exact date in July that “Motown” will start up again in New York. In the meantime, the West End run of “Motown” kicks off Feb. 11.
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