‘Ghost the Musical’ Closes on Broadway August 18

Producers have announced that the Broadway production of “Ghost The Musical” will close in August.

Based on the Academy Award winning 1990 film “Ghost,” which starred Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore, the production will play its last night at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on August 18. At that point, it will have played 136 performances.

Fortunately for fans of the musical, a U.S. national tour is planned for fall 2013. There are also plans for productions in Australia, Germany, Korea, Sweden, Hungary, Japan and China.

“Ghost The Musical” first launched in London in July 2011, and that production will also conclude later this year. The last performance at the Piccadilly Theatre will be held October 6.

The Broadway version received Tony Award nominations for Best Featured Actress, Best Scenic Design and Best Lighting. The production was directed by Matthew Warchus, and was filled with special effects and a unique LED scenic design.

The film was adapted for the stage by Oscar-winning screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin, and the music and lyrics were written by Dave Stewart of the Eurhythmics and popular producer Glen Ballard. The musical also features the song “Unchained Melody,” which was prominently featured in the film version.

Producers of the show described it as “a timeless fantasy about the power of love. Walking back to their apartment one night, Sam and Molly are mugged, leaving Sam murdered on a dark street. Sam is trapped as a ghost between this world and the next and unable to leave Molly who he learns is in grave danger. With the help of a phony storefront psychic, Oda Mae Brown, Sam tries to communicate with Molly in the hope of saving and protecting her.”

The Broadway production was produced by Colin Ingram Productions Limited and Hello Entertainment/David Garfinkle, among others, who worked in association with Paramount Pictures Corporation.