'Buffalo' roaming to early close date

Broadway revival might end run on Nov. 23

By GORDON COX

'American Buffalo,' starring John Leguizamo, Cedric the Entertainer and Haley Joel Osment, will likely close on Sunday.

The Broadway revival of "American Buffalo," which opened Monday to largely tepid reviews, has posted a provisional closing notice for Sunday.

Producer Ben Sprecher said the Nov. 23 closing date would hold unless ticket sales improve.

So far weekly grosses for the show have barely topped $200,000. Capitalized at $2.6 million, the production played to auds at about 50% of capacity for the week ended Sunday.

John Leguizamo, Cedric the Entertainer and Haley Joel Osment topline the production, which is helmed by Robert Falls at the Belasco Theater. The 1976 play by David Mamet centers on three men planning a heist.

"American Buffalo" is the second Mamet revival to open this season on the Rialto. At the Barrymore, Jeremy Piven starrer "Speed-the-Plow" has been logging strong B.O. in the wake of favorable press garnered after its Oct. 23 opening.

Sprecher and Elliot Martin head a team of producers that includes Louise Forlenza, Michael S. Rosenberg, Nica Burns and Max Weitzenhoffer.