Come Back, Little Sheba plays final performance on Broadway

The Manhattan Theatre club's Broadway revival of William Inge's Come Back, Little Sheba, will play its final performance at Broadway's Biltmore Theatre on 16 Mar 2008. When the play closes it will have played 27 previews and 58 regular performances.

Come Back, Little Sheba opend for a limited engagement at the Biltmore Theatre on 24 Jan 2008, following previews from 16 Mar.

The show, starring S. Epatha Merkerson - better known to TV audiences as Lt. Anita Van Buren from NBC's long-running "Law and Order," opened to mostly poor reviews.

"There may be a Tony waiting for its star, S. Epatha Merkerson. And in case you're wondering what the "S" stands for, it's "Superb." (New York Theatre Guide); "Revitalizing production." (New York Times); "Michael Pressman's pedestrian staging is as adequate as the play deserves" (New York Post); "The antiquated drama proves to be a dog without bark or bite."" (Star-Ledger); "Unlikely that anyone can make this obvious old soaper hold the stage today. Certainly, Merkerson is wasted trying." (NewsDay); "Looking a little musty but welcome all the same." (New York Sun); "If casting is 90 percent of direction, "Come Back, Little Sheba" is a direction disaster" (Journal News.); "Despite the strenuous efforts of all concerned, this "Sheba" might not have been worth bringing back." (Hollywood Reporter).

Come Back, Little Sheba: Lola (Merkerson) is a faded beauty queen trapped in a lonely marriage to Doc, a recovering alcoholic on the brink of relapse. When a pretty young woman becomes a boarder in their cluttered Midwest home, their lives are unsettled as unspoken passions rise to the surface. As the emptiness of their marriage is laid bare, can they find their way back to each other or will they be undone?

The cast, directed by Michael Pressman also features Kevin Anderson (Doc), Zoe Kazan (Marie), Brian J. Smith (Turk), Brenda Wehle (Mrs. Coffman), Lyle Kanouse (Postman), Matthew J. Williamson (Milkman), Joseph Adams, Chad Hoeppner, Daniel Damon Joyce and Keith Randolph Smith.

The creative team features James Noone (sets), Jennifer Von Mayrhauser (costumes), Jane Cox (lighting) and Obadiah Eaves (sound).