American Buffalo to close on 23 Nov if ticket sales do not improve

The Broadway revival of David Mamet's American Buffalo, directed by Robert Falls, and starring Cedric the Entertainer, John Leguizamo and Haley Joel Osment, looks set to close on 23 Nov 2008, if ticket sales do not improve.

American Buffalo opened at the Belasco Theatre on 17 Nov 2008, following previews from 31 Oct, and was selling tickets through to 19 Apr 2009. Tickets are currently only only on sale with Telecharge until 23 Nov 2008.

The show opened to mostly negative reviews: "Deflated revival." (NY Times); "All the danger and combustibility of a book of soggy matches." (NY Daily News); "It's flatter than a cow plop." (NY Post); "Slack, unsatisfying Broadway revival." (AP)

American Buffalo tells the story of 'Don Dubrow,' (Cedric the Entertainer,) the owner of a junkshop, who decides along with his assistant 'Bobby' (Haley Joel Osment) and his friend 'Teach,' (John Leguizamo) to rob a customer who they think owns a coin collection. However, their plans stir up their own rivalries.

American Buffalo, the first of Mamet's plays to be performed on Broadway, had its Broadway premiere in 1977, directed by Ulu Grosbard, it starred Robert Duvall as 'Teacher' and Kenneth McMillan as 'Donny Dubrow.' It was first revived in 1983, directed by Arvin Brown, and featured Al Pacino as 'teacher' and 'J. J. Johnston' as 'Donny Dubrow.'

American Buffalo is the second David Mamet play to be revived on Broadway this season, Speed-the-Plough began performances at the Ethal Barrymore Theatre on 3 Oct 2008.