‘Hands on a Hardbody’ to close on Broadway

“Hands on a Hardbody,” the new musical about cash-strapped Texans competing for a truck, couldn’t pick up speed on Broadway.

Producers announced Monday that the show, which opened March 21 at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in New York City, will close Saturday after 28 regular performances and dismal ticket sales. The production grossed $240,040 for eight shows last week -- or about 22% of its potential $1,071,968.

Critics initially praised the pared-down production that featured an ensemble cast of 15 and a red Nissan. (Charles Isherwood of the New York Times compared the “scrappy, sincere” musical to “Once.”)

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Based on the little-seen 1994 documentary of the same name, the show perhaps couldn’t stand up to Broadway’s current star power, including “Kinky Boots” with a Cyndi Lauper score and Nora Ephron’s “Lucky Guy” starring Tom Hanks.

The production premiered last year at the La Jolla Playhouse and retained its entire cast for the Broadway run.

The musical, which received a tuneup before its Broadway debut, features a book by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Doug Wright (“I Am My Own Wife”) and a score by Amanda Green (“Bring It On: The Musical”) and Trey Anastasio, frontman of rock band Phish.

ALSO:

Cyndi Lauper struts onto Broadway with ‘Kinky Boots’

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‘Hands on a Hardbody’ on Broadway: What did the critics think?

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