Clive Owen-starring M. Butterfly Broadway revival to close six weeks early

The Broadway revival of M. Butterfly, starring Clive Owen, will shutter more than a month earlier than previously planned, with closing night now set for Jan. 14. The decision was made only a month after its official opening, and despite the fact that the show had already been scheduled as a strictly limited engagement.

M. Butterfly, written by the acclaimed playwright David Henry Hwang, stars Owen as a French diplomat who gets into a scandalous, complicated romance with a Chinese opera singer. The play charts their 20-year relationship as it blurs the boundaries between male and female, east and west, and ultimately exposes the devastating cost of deceit.

Its original 1988 Broadway run won a slew of Tony Awards, including Best Play, and was met with favorable reviews as well as a strong commercial response; it was also adapted into a movie by David Cronenberg, with Jeremy Irons in the main role. This is its first Broadway revival, but the show, helmed by esteemed director Julie Taymor, has been met with a decidedly mixed response from critics and audiences alike, dropping six figures at the box office after a promising opening weekend.

M. Butterfly was originally slated to finish its run at the Cort Theatre on Feb. 25. For those still interested in catching the show, tickets are available atTelecharge.