The play, which recouped during the week that ended March 4, made back its investment despite announcing an early closing. Originally scheduled to play a limited engagement through April 1, the production recently announced that it would end March 11. When the early closing was announced, a spokesperson for the show said that the production was expected to recoup by the time it closed.
The play had strong sales early on, with a high of $589,239 for the week ending Nov. 26. Recently, however, the show has had several sub-$300,000 weeks, and earned only $235,165 during the week ending March 4.
David Hare's play, making its world premiere at Broadway's Music Box Theatre, is about a Yale professor (Moore) and her boyfriend visiting the boyfriend's father (Nighy) in the Welsh countryside and engaging in heated discussions on love, death, parenthood and the war in Iraq.
Sam Mendes directed the play, which began previews Nov. 9, 2006, and officially opened Nov. 30. Scott Rudin, Robert Fox, Neal Street Productions, Roger Berlind, Debra Black and The Shubert Organization produce.
Joining Moore and Nighy in the cast are Andrew Scott (The Royal Court's A Girl in a Car With a Man, "Saving Private Ryan"), Dan Bittner (The House In Town) and Rutina Wesley ("Hitch," "Step"). Moore has earned four Academy Award nominations for her work in "The Hours" (a Hare screenplay), "Boogie Nights," "Far From Heaven" and "The End of the Affair." Other film work includes "The Shipping News," "Evolution," "Hannibal," "An Ideal Husband," "Magnolia," "The Big Lebowski" and the forthcoming "Children of Men" and "Savage Grace." Her stage credits include Vanya on 42nd Street Off-Broadway as well as Surviving Picasso, Serious Money and Ice Cream With Hot Fudge.
An acclaimed British star, Nighy is known for his film work on such movies as "Love Actually," "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest" and "The Constant Gardener" as well as the HBO film "The Girl in the Café." His roles this year include "Notes on a Scandal" and a voice on the animated feature "Flushed Away." He has trod the boards for Hare previously in A Map of the World and Skylight. Other stage credits include Pravda, King Lear, Arcadia, Blue/Orange, Betrayal, A Kind of Alaska and The Seagull.
The design team for The Vertical Hour includes Scott Pask (scenery), Ann Roth (costumes), Brian MacDevitt (lighting) and Chris Cronin (sound).
The Music Box Theatre is located at 239 West 45th Street. For tickets call (212) 239-6200 or visit www.telecharge.com.
