A posting on the Dress Circle website states, "Over the past months we have tried in vain to negotiate with our landlord to move our shop into smaller and more cost effective premises. The cost of keeping Dress Circle open in the current location is too high, and it has become apparent that we will not be able to dispose of our current lease. The downturn in the economy has also taken its toll on us, as well as the ever changing way that people are buying music. With CD’s becoming relics and downloads being more popular, Dress Circle, the shop, has struggled to keep up for a long time and we have reached the point that we are no longer able to continue."

The owners of the musical-theatre shop had tried to keep the store open. A gala benefit last August at Her Majesty's Theatre sold out and provided the business "with a significant though short lived increase in sales...[which] was not sustainable through the recession."

The Dress Circle website, however, will continue to sell theatre-related merchandise.

For more information visit www.dresscircle.com.

* Showbiz merchandise is also available at the Playbill Store.