Based on the 1958 novel by Russian author Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago began previews March 27 and opened to cool reviews from critics April 21. Click here to read the reviews.
The show received no Tony nominations; its star Tam Mutu was nominated for a Drama League Award for Distinguished Performance, and Paul Nolan received an Outer Critics Circle nod for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. On average, the production was playing to a house that was 75 percent filled with an average ticket price of $59.48—not enough to cover its weekly operating costs.
"We are all incredibly proud of this emotional and important work our amazing creative team has put together. There has been extraordinary dedication and inspiring work from the cast and entire Doctor Zhivago team, both onstage and off," producer Anita Waxman said in a statement. "We look forward to this soaring and beautiful new musical having a long future with productions playing not only North America, but also around the world."
At the time of closing, Zhivago will have played 26 previews and 23 regular performances.
The musical premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in May 2006 and was later revised for an Australian production produced by John Frost in 2010. Tony Award winner Des McAnuff, who helmed the American and Australian productions, again directed for Broadway.
The stage production of Doctor Zhivago features the work of bookwriter Michael Weller (Moonchildren, Loose Ends), composer Lucy Simon (The Secret Garden) and lyricists Michael Korie (Grey Gardens) and Amy Powers (Lizzie Borden).
Mutu, the West End leading man known for his roles in Les Misérables, Love Never Dies and the Donmar Warehouse production of City of Angels, makes his Broadway debut as Yurii Zhivago in a cast that also features Barrett (Wicked, Rock of Ages) as Lara Guishar, Tony Award nominee Hewitt (Rocky Horror Show, Dracula) as Viktor Komarovsky, Nolan (Once, Jesus Christ Superstar) as Pasha Antipov and Josh Canfield as Liberius.
The cast also features Lora Lee Gayer as Tonia Gromeko, as well as Jacqueline Antaramian, Jamie Jackson, Heather Botts, Wendi Bergamini, Melody Butiu, Julian Cihi, Briana Carlson-Goodman, Bradley Dean, Michael Brian Dunn, Drew Foster, Kira Guloien, Robert Hager, Ericka Hunter, Denis Lambert, David McDonald, Joseph Medeiros, Pilar Millhollen, Gary Milner, Spencer Moses, Julius Sermonia, Jacob L. Smith and Jesse Wildman.
Kelly Devine (Rocky, Rock of Ages) choreographs the production.
Doctor Zhivago has scenic design by Michael Scott-Mitchell, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Steve Canyon Kennedy, projection design by Sean Nieuwenhuis, with music arrangements by Eric Stern and musical supervision by Ron Melrose. Orchestrations are by Danny Troob.
Anita Waxman, Tom Dokton, Latitude Link, Ted Hartley/RKO Stage and Chunsoo Shin, with Margo and Roger Coleman, Joe Corcoran, J. Todd Harris, Stage Entertainment USA, Inc., Broadway Across America, Grove Entertainment, The Shubert Organization, The Pelican Group, Ahmos Hassan and John Frost produced the Broadway run. Junkyard Dog Productions is the executive producer.
According to producers, "Dr. Zhivago is an epic romance set during the final days of Czarist Russia, the First World War and the chaos of the Russian revolution. Raised as an aristocrat, Zhivago is a political idealist, physician and poet whose life is tossed by the tides of history as he is torn between a life with his devoted wife, Tonia Gromeko and the passionate and mysterious Lara Guishar. Zhivago is not alone in his yearnings for Lara, competing for her affections with the young revolutionary Pasha Antipov, and the aristocrat Viktor Komarovsky. Dr. Zhivago celebrates the strength of love and art, in the face of political oppression, war and revolution."
Tickets are on sale via Telecharge.com, or by phoning (212) 239-6200. Visit doctorzhivagobroadway.com.
