Breaking: MOTOWN to Take Broadway Hiatus; Heads to the UK Next Summer!

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, the hit musical featuring the music of the legendary Motown catalogue and a book by Berry Gordy, will play its final performance at Broadway's Lunt Fontanne Theatre (205 West 46th Street) on January 18, 2015.

In an unprecedented move, Motown the Musical will return to Broadway in a Nederlander theatre to be announced in July, 2016.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL has broken the weekly gross box office record at the Lunt Fontanne with million dollar-grossing weeks and an average ticket price of $112.72 since the start of performances on March 11, 2013. The production will recoup its $18 million investment within the next few weeks at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre.

This spring, the first National Tour of Motown the Musical opened to critical acclaim, grossing an impressive $20 Million dollars during a packed sixteen-week run, and is now heading to major markets across the US.

A UK production is planned for the summer of 2015.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is produced by Kevin McCollum, Doug Morris and Berry Gordy.

On the announcement of the plan, Kevin McCollum commented, "We are only saying farewell to Broadway for now. We are leaving on a strong note, because we have a plan in place to come back even stronger. We've seen that Motown the Musical demonstrably appeals to a wide range of audiences. The passionate response to our show and the Motown catalogue puts us in a great position to arrange a successful return, while at the same time Motown the Musical branches out nationally and internationally."

"Motown The Musical opened in New York without the benefit of an out-of-town tryout to immediate and amazing response. We learned a lot from producing the premiere, both on an artistic and practical level. When we launched the first National Tour on a full Equity Production Contract, we were able to incorporate changes that present a new, visually and musically vibrant version of the show, equal in quality and excitement to its Broadway counterpart and that clearly appeals to audiences, as we have seen from the great sales figures in Chicago."

"By closing in January, 2015, we have an opportunity to use the production assets from Broadway for the UK production next year. We are pleased to continue our great relationship with the Nederlander Organization for the next chapter of Motown the Musical on Broadway when we will return with a new production, our fourth, in the summer of 2016."

Nick Scandalios, Vice-President of the Nederlander Organization, said, "The Nederlander Organization has enjoyed a great four-year partnership with Motown the Musical and look forward to that relationship continuing for many years to come. We would likeMotown The Musical to open in London next year at the Dominion Theatre and we are committed to making one of our theaters available to Motown the Musical on Broadway in the summer of 2016. We are also grateful to the producers of Motown the Musicalfor making it possible for the Nederlander Organization to book the Lunt Fontanne for another production for the 2014-2015 awards season. "

Doug Morris commented, "The music of Motown has always been welcomed in Britain and Europe. With a long history going back exactly 50 years to the first Motown Revue tour of the UK, it's time to take Motown the Musical to markets around the globe."

Berry Gordy commented, "Since I founded the company, it has always been my goal to share the music and message of Motown with people around the world. I'm delighted that Motown the Musical has been successfully launched on Broadway and I now look forward to concentrating on future productions, as well as planning our return to New York City in 2016."

Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, Motown the Musical is the real story of the one-of-a-kind sound that hit the airwaves in 1959 and changed our culture forever. This exhilarating show charts Motown Founder Berry Gordy's incredible journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and many more.

Featuring all the classics you love, Motown the Musical tells the story behind the hits as Diana, Smokey, Berry and the whole Motown family fight against the odds to create the soundtrack of change in America. Motown shattered barriers, shaped our lives and made us all move to the same beat. You can experience the next electrifying chapter in the Motown story on Broadway throughJanuary 18 and across the country in a city near you.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL's creative team features choreography by Patricia Wilcox (Blues in the Night) and Warren Adams (Toy Story), scenic design by David Korins (Bring It On: The Musical, Annie), costume design by Tony Award® nominee ESosa (The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, "Project Runway"), lighting design by Tony Award® winner Natasha Katz (Once, Sister Act), sound design by Tony Award® nominee Peter Hylenski (Rock of Ages, The Scottsboro Boys) and projection design by Daniel Brodie(Jekyll and Hyde).

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL features arrangements and orchestrations by Tony and Grammy Award nominee Ethan Popp (Rock of Ages), who also serves as musical supervisor for the orchestra that reproduces the classic "Sound of Young America" for the stage, with co-orchestrations and additional arrangements by Tony Award nominee Bryan Crook ("Smash"), dance arrangements by Zane Mark (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and music direction by Joseph Joubert (Nice Work If You Can Get It).

The Original Broadway Cast Album of Motown the Musical, produced by Ethan Popp for Universal Music Enterprises, was nominated for a 2014 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus