'Leap of Faith' to close on B'way Sunday

NEW YORK, May 8 (UPI) -- The producers of the Best Musical Tony Award nominee "Leap of Faith" say the show will close Sunday after 44 performances.

"Although we love our show and very much appreciate both our many award nominations and the joy of our audiences, we have not been able to achieve a sustainable level of ticket sales to continue," the producers said in a statement Tuesday. "We thank all those who worked so hard over so many years to bring 'Leap of Faith' to Broadway."

The musical starring Raul Esparza officially opened April 26 at The St. James Theatre. It will have played 24 previews and 20 regular performances when it closes Sunday.

Based on the 1992 Steve Martin movie of the same name, the show tells the story of Jonas Nightingale, "an electrifying performer and rabble-rouser who's planning to take the whole town for a ride. But when a small-town girl stops him in his tracks, this hustler may just discover something to believe in," a synopsis said.