The Producers to close on Broadway

TheProducers, Mel Brooks's record-setting musical about two men trying to create a Broadway flop, will close in New York on April 22 after more than 2,500 performances, the show's public relations firm said on Friday.

The musical comedy, created from Brooks's 1968 movie, won a record-breaking 12 Tony awards after it opened on Broadway in 2001 with Nathan Lane starring as scheming theatrical producer Max Bialystock and Matthew Broderick as his wily accountant Leo Bloom. The musical led to worldwide stage productions and a follow-up major Hollywood film in 2005.

The show was the first to charge $100 for orchestra seats and set the standard for a top seat on Broadway after it was the first to charge $480 for a premium seat.

It has grossed just under $300 million in New York and more than $1 billion worldwide after hitting the stage in 74 cities including Toronto, London, Tokyo, Melbourne, and Seoul.

"The last six years working on this show have been pure joy for me," Brooks said in a news release.

The show broke the record for the largest box office gross in a single day, raking in more than $3.5 million in 2003, according to the show's public relations firm.

But ticket sales have dwindled recently. Last week it grossed around $554,000, with an attendance level of 59%, according to Playbill.

Former television actor Tony Danza recently filled the main role of Max Bialystock in New York. The Las Vegas production opened this month starring former Baywatch star David Hasselhoff. (Reuters)