'Evita' to end Broadway run Jan. 26

NEW YORK, Dec. 11 (UPI) -- The Broadway revival of "Evita" is to close Jan. 26, the show's producers announced Tuesday.

The Tim Rice-Andrew Lloyd Webber musical starring Ricky Martin, Elena Roger and Michael Ceveris will have played 26 previews and 337 regular performances when it ends its run at the Marquis Theatre, Playbill.com said.

"Our extensive search for a new cast presented the significant challenges of not only replacing a high-caliber trio of stars but also synchronizing the schedules of potential replacements with that of the production," producer Hal Luftig said in a statement.

"Despite going down the road with a variety of artists, the planets have simply not aligned for us to engage the right talent at the right time. Therefore, we have made the decision to end this incredible journey on a high note on Jan. 26 with our original stars intact."

"The style, grace and vision brought to this legendary musical by the cast, musicians and creative team exceeded our wildest expectations," producer Scott Sanders said. "We were thrilled by the diversity of the audiences that have filled the Marquis every evening and look forward to sharing this beautiful production with even larger audiences across the country beginning next fall."