Theater News

Coram Boy to Close on May 27

The Broadway production of Coram Boy will shutter following the Sunday, May 27 matinee performance “unless business improves,” according to a statement by the press agent. At that time, the show will have played 18 previews and 30 regular performances.

Adapted by Helen Edmundson from Jamila Gavin’s award-winning novel of the same title, this play with music is a transfer from the London stage. Set in 18th-century England, it focuses on two orphans: Toby, who has been saved from an African slave ship, and Aaron, the abandoned son of the heir of a great estate. Directed by Melly Still, the production team includes Still and Ti Green (costumes and sets), Paula Constable (lighting), Christopher Shutt (sound), Adrian Sutton (music), and Constantine Kitsopoulous (music direction).

Coram Boy received Tony Award nominations for director Still and featured actresses Xanthe Elbrick and Jan Maxwell, as well as for scenic, costume, and lighting design.

In his review of the show for TheaterMania, David Finkle wrote, “Why does something that was so distinguished on the English stage now look and sound so chaotic? […] One main reason for the lesser result is that a play developed for a thrust stage has been forced into the Imperial Theatre’s proscenium’s limits. More importantly, though, the difference is in the performances of the American cast. There’s a disengaging obstreperousness to the playing, particularly among the actors appearing as children.”

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Coram Boy

Closed: May 27, 2007