Broadway’s Bobbi Boland Closes in Previews

Bobbi Boland has closed during its preview period at the Cort Theatre. Nancy Hasty’s play about a faded beauty queen starred television luminary Farrah Fawcett; the Sunday, November 9 matinee of the show was its seventh and final performance.

Originally scheduled to begin previews on October 31, Bobbi Boland actually had its first performance on November 4. It was slated to open on Monday, November 24. Directed by David Esbjornson, the production also starred Tom Wiggin, Tom Beckett, Leon Russom, Kelli Giddish, and Janine Barris. Set, costume, and lighting designs were by John Arnone, Elizabeth Hope Clancy, and Howell Binkley, respectively.

According to producer Joyce Johnson, “I decided to close the production now because we learned in previews that the play simply does not work in a Broadway house. This work debuted in a more intimate (Off-Broadway) theatre some years back, which is where I first saw Bobbi Boland. The vivid characters that I saw in such a small setting did not transfer to the Cort. It’s as simple as that.

“I am especially disappointed that, in the end, I could not produce Farrah Fawcett’s Broadway debut,” Johnson’s statement continues. “She is a very intelligent, sensitive, fine actress — and a great star. It is my hope that she will be back on Broadway soon.”