The Closer

A lot people that I grew up with will remain fairly unaffected by the current recession. I tease people saying that I will be unaffected, as well - "I was poor before, I'm poor now. What's the difference?"

The difference is this.

Today, Sunday January 4th, marks the beginning of a slew of closes on Broadway. More shows closing in one month than ever before in Broadway History.

Yesterday, I saw two of Broadway's strongest shows: All My Sons, and a rapturous Gypsy, starring the truly incomparable Patti LuPone. Both houses were packed full. I had to stand for All My Sons. Both of them close within the month.

The Tony Award for Best Musical is currently represented by 7 different shows, still playing. 4 of them - Hairpsray, Avenue Q, Spamalot, and Spring Awakening - will all close.

The Tony Award winner for best play and the Pulitzer Prize winner in 2008, August:Osage County - the most exciting new American drama Broadway has seen in a decade - will close.

As well as 13, The 39 Steps, Boeing, Boeing (Tony Winner for best play revival 2008), Dividing the Estate, Grease, Young Frankenstein, and Equus.

Compound that with two christmas shows that were always due to close (White Christmas, and Slava's Snowshow) and you've just closed 16 shows! With not so many left. Think of how many actors will be unemployed tomorrow.

Dark days lie ahead, and I don't just mean the marquis.