Naked Boys Closes 9/5; Searches for Venue

Naked Boys Singing!, the long-running all-nude male revue which moved from the Actors' Playhouse to Theater 4 in March, will end its run there on September 5 in order to allow the Women's Project to renovate the theater before its 2004-2005 season begins. The producers of Naked Boys Singing! are currently looking for a new home for the show.

"It's the 'little naked show that could'--so why stop now?" producer Carl D. White told Broadway.com. "Our audiences are loyal, our groups remain healthy and tourists still flock to the show regardless of where we are located. So with a strong advance, an ever-widening audience demographic and an internationally recognized brand--it seems that shutting down now simply because we have to move again would be an unwise business decision. So the search [for a new theater] begins."

Naked Boys Singing! opened at the Actors' Playhouse on July 22, 1999. The eight-member cast is totally nude for about 90% of musical. During the show, the boys celebrate their undressed state by singing songs with such titles as "Gratuitous Nudity" and "Bliss of a Bris." The show struggled in late 2003 and a closing date of January 11, 2004 was announced, but when sales picked up, the producers decided to keep the show alive. It continued to run the Actors' Playhouse through March 7 and then moved to the larger Theatre 4 space, where performances began March 10. My Big Gay Italian Wedding, a comedy about, well, a big gay Italian wedding, moved uptown along with Naked Boys Singing! and is scheduled to close on August 21.

After renovations, Theater 4 will be occupied by the Women's Project's 2004-2005 season.