Producer Marty Bell told Playbill On-Line A Class Act will close June 10 at the Ambassador Theatre, but not before it is preserved on videotape for Lincoln Center archives.

The cast has been informed, and co-writer, director and star Lonny Price, who has been hospitalized in recent days, is expected back for performances later this week, including the archival show.

The biographical musical about Broadway songwriter Edward Kleban and his circle of friends began life at Manhattan Theatre Club in fall 2000 and moved to Broadway Feb 14. Its score, using trunk songs by the late Kleban to tell his own life story (the book is by his companion, Linda Kline and Price), was preserved on a cast album featuring the MTC cast. Counting the Off-Broadway and Broadway runs, the show played 24 weeks. The Broadway staging will have played 30 previews and 105 performances by Sunday June 10.

Bell, who co-produced with Chase Mishkin and Arielle Tepper, said he's working on a national tour for the show for summer or fall 2002. The tour may start at a non-profit theatre prior to going on a commercial hike. Bell said in a 2002-2003 touring season dominated by The Lion King and The Producers, the eight-actor A Class Act will be a welcome, refreshing presence.

"It was always an odd little piece," Bell said. "Sometimes there's not a place for an odd little piece on Broadway. The bottom line, today, although you go through a lot of struggling to keep it going, I feel like it's been great fun..."

A Class Act was nominated for five Tony Awards, including a posthumous Best Score nom for Kleban, and Best Musical, Best Actress (Randy Graff), Best Orchestrations (Larry Hochman) and Best Book (Kline and Price).