Tony Winner Assassins to Close Early, July 18

Assassins, which was the big winner at the 2004 Tony Awards with five including Best Revival of a Musical, is expected to end its run at Studio 54 on July 18. The musical revival had been booking through September 12. At the time it closes, the production will have played 26 previews and 93 performances.

Assassins looks at the lives, loves and lunacy of nine American assassins and would-be assassins, including John Wilkes Booth, John Hinckley, Lee Harvey Oswald and Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme. Assassins features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by John Weidman.

Directed by Joe Mantello, with musical staging by Jonathan Butterell and music direction by Paul Gemignani, this Assassins stars Becky Ann Baker, James Barbour, Mario Cantone, Michael Cerveris, Mary Catherine Garrison, Alexander Gemignani, Neil Patrick Harris, Marc Kudisch, Jeffrey Kuhn and Denis O'Hare.

The production opened at Studio 54 on April 22 to mostly positive reviews. In his Broadway.com Review of the musical, Ken Mandelbaum wrote: "Mantello's Assassins is a persuasive, crackling account of a challenging piece… A striking, provocative evening."

Assassins was originally only scheduled to run through May, but the Roundabout Theatre Company kept extending its acclaimed production of the tuner, even offering actors a contract through mid-October. However, despite its Tony Awards, the show has struggled. A production spokesperson noted that if ticket sales pick up in the coming weeks, Assassins will extend beyond the anticipated closing.