The official reason for its close was the production falling below the Circle in the Square Theatre's stop clause for two consecutive weeks during the month of December 2002. A release stated Metamorphoses "is being forced to give its final performance." Theatre owners can kick a show out if it dips below a certain box office level.
The play, which had only four money-losing weeks in its entire run, will close having recouped 140 percetn of its initial Broadway investment. There was consideration to transfer the production back to Off-Broadway (this time to the new Little Shubert), however those plans were nixed.
Metamorphoses, which returned its entire investment of $1.7 million in May 2002, stages the great transformation myths of Ovid with additional material compiled by Zimmerman from other sources, including the poet Rainer Maria Rilke. King Midas, Orpheus and Eurydice, and Cupid and Psyche all make appearances during the evening, wherein they change physically, emotionally and mentally. The play's most notable set piece was its 27-foot wide rectangular pool which the actors played around — and in.
Metamorphoses transferred to The Great White Way on Feb. 21, after a successful run at Off-Broadway's Second Stage. It has won the Drama Desk, Drama League and Lucille Lortel prizes for Best Play and earned a Tony Award for Best Direction for director Zimmerman.
The Broadway cast mirrored the Off-Broadway ensemble, and includes Anjali Bhimani, Raymond Fox, Kyle Hall, Doug Hara, Felicity Jones, Chris Kipiniak, Louise Lamson, Erik Lochtefeld, Mariann Mayberry (who replaced Heidi Stillman during the Off-Broadway run) and Lisa Tejero. The Broadway run was produced by Roy Gabay, Robyn Goodman, Allan S. Gordon, Elan McAllister, D. Harris/M. Swinsky, Ruth Hendel, Sharon Karmazin, R.L. Wreghitt/J. Bergere, in association with Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, artistic director; Carol Fishman, managing director).
Circle in the Square is at 1633 Broadway at 50th Street. Life x 3 with Helen Hunt and John Turturro begins at the venue March 11.
