3 Broadway Shows Close Today

Today, November 19, 2023, Broadway says goodbye to three productions. The Shark Is Broken takes its final bow at the John Golden Theatre following 18 previews and 116 regular performances; Jaja's African Hair Braiding wraps up at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre following  21 previews and 56 regular performances; and Melissa Etheridge: My Window concludes its run at the Circle in the Square Theatre following 8 previews and 44 regular performances.

Check out a full list of upcoming Broadway shows.

The Shark Is Broken opened August 10 at the  Golden Theatre and stars Alex Brightman as Richard Dreyfuss, Colin Donnell as Roy Scheider, and Ian Shaw portraying his father Robert Shaw, who played “Quint” in JAWS. Co-written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon, The Shark Is Broken is the Olivier Award-nominated comedy that imagines what happened on board “The Orca” when the cameras stopped rolling during the filming of Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster, JAWS. 
 
FADE IN: The open ocean, 1974. Filming on JAWS is delayed…again. The film’s lead actors—theatre veteran Robert Shaw and young Hollywood hotshots, Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider—are crammed into a too-small boat, entirely at the mercy of foul weather and a faulty mechanical co-star. Alcohol flows, egos collide, and tempers flare on a chaotic voyage that just might lead to cinematic magic…if it doesn’t sink them all. 

Jaja’s African Hair Braiding officially opened October 3 at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. The new play was written by Jocelyn Bioh (School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play) and directed by Whitney White (Our Dear Dead Drug Lord). The cast features Brittany Adebumola, Maechi Aharanwa, Rachel Christopher, Kalyne Coleman, Somi Kakoma, Lakisha May, Nana Mensah, Michael Oloyede, Dominique Thorne and Zenzi Williams.

This world premiere welcomes you into Jaja’s bustling hair braiding shop in Harlem where every day, a lively and eclectic group of West African immigrant hair braiders are creating masterpieces on the heads of neighborhood women. During one sweltering summer day, love will blossom, dreams will flourish and secrets will be revealed. The uncertainty of their circumstances simmers below the surface of their lives and when it boils over, it forces this tight-knit community to confront what it means to be an outsider on the edge of the place they call home. 

Melissa Etheridge: My Window opened September 28 at the Circle in the Square Theatre. Before Broadway, Etheridge celebrated the world premiere of Melissa Etheridge Off Broadway: My Window – A Journey Through Life. The three-week, sold-out engagement was performed at New World Stages in New York City. 

Known for her confessional lyrics and raspy, smoky vocals, Melissa Etheridge has lit up airwaves and arenas across the world for more than two decades with instant classics like “I'm the Only One,” “Come to My Window,” “I Want to Come Over,” and more. Melissa Etheridge: My Window is an intimate experience like never before, inviting theatergoers into an exhilarating evening of storytelling and music. From tales of her childhood in Kansas to her groundbreaking career highlights – with all of life’s hits and deep cuts between – Etheridge opens her heart and soul on stage to fearlessly dazzle audiences of all generations.