Boy George's "Taboo" to close 8 Feb 2004

Wed 14 Jan 2004 Boy George's "Taboo" to close 8 Feb 2004 The Boy George musical Taboo, will close on 8 Feb 2004, after a run of only 3 months at the Plymouth Theatre. When Taboo closes, it will have played 16 previews and 100 performances. Taboo is thought to have lost Rosie O'Donnell, its producer, millions of dollars. Last week the show made only $281,334 and filled the Plymouth to just 50.15% capacity. Rosie O'Donnell was a hands-on producer for the musical, "Taboo was by far the most fulfilling experience of my career," O'Donnell said in a statement. "Many lessons were learned, and so it goes. For this experience, I am profoundly grateful and have no regrets." The show received mostly poor notices from the popular press: BEN BRANTLEY for THE NEW YORK TIMES says, " the show is a crazy, mixed-up mess in tone, structure and rhythm." HOWARD KISSEL for THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS says, "The show turns out to be more tedious than awful."ELYSA GARDNER for USA TODAY says, "A talented cast helps ensure that the show never sinks altogether." LINDA WINER for NEWSDAY says, "What the show does have...is a great sense of style." MICHAEL KUCHWARA for ASSOCIATED PRESS says, "Debuts With Some Sparkle." Taboo is a musical portrait of London in the early 1980s, a time which found its rebellious expression in flamboyant fashion and decadent nightlife. TABOO focuses on two young men - Leigh Bowery, a brilliant performance artist and designer (played by Boy George) and George O�Dowd (played by Euan Morton), a young man who becomes the surprising star of the scene as 'Boy George.' Both men�s stories are played out against the background of Taboo, the real life club that had come to symbolize the mad excess and decadent fun of a time and place that left a lasting influence on music and fashion. The cast features Sarah Uriarte Berry, Raul Esparza, Liz McCartney, Euan Morton, George O�Dowd (aka Boy George) Cary Shields, Jennifer Cody, Dioni Michelle Collins, Brooke Elliott, Lisa Gajda, Bob Gaynor, Curtis Holbrook, Lori Holmes, Jennifer Mrozik, Nathan Peck, Alexander Quiroga, Asa Somers, Denise Summerford, Jody Reynard, James Tabeek, Gregory Treco. Taboo has Music & Lyrics by George O'Dowd (a.k.a. Boy George), Book by Charles Busch (Adapted from the original book by Mark Davies), Original Concept: George O'Dowd (a.k.a. Boy George) and Christopher Renshaw It is directed by Christopher Renshaw, designed by Tim Goodchild, Natasha Katz, costumes by Mike Nicholls, and choreography by Mark Dendy. Taboo opened at the Plymouth Theatre 13 Nov 2003, following previews from 28 Oct 2003, and will now close 8 Feb 2004. Taboo had its world premiere at the Venue in London in Jan 2002, and ran to 26 April 2003, before transferring to Broadway.