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Goodbye is the word for 'Grease'

Musical ends Broadway run on Jan. 4

By SAM THIELMAN

Retro tuner 'Grease' will slide to a close on Broadway on Jan. 4.

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"Grease" will end its run at the Brooks Atkinson Theater on Jan. 4, joining "Young Frankenstein," "Boeing-Boeing," and "Hairspray" in what is shaping up to be the Rialto's Black Sunday. After the traditionally lucrative Christmas and New Year's frames, "Grease" will quit while it's ahead before the dreaded post-holiday slump.

The '50s-style musical, cast in part by viewers of NBC reality show "You're the One That I Want," did boffo biz in previews and in its first few months, recouping its entire investment in a year and pulling in $17 million in pre-opening advance sales, according to the producers. Sales have tapered off, though the show still routinely plays to respectably full houses. Producer Nick Scandalios cited the economic downturn as one of the reasons for the closing.

Written, composed and with lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, the retro musical was directed and choreographed by two-time Tony winner Kathleen Marshall and starred TV picks Laura Osnes and Max Crumm as Sandy and Danny.

The tuner got the expected boost from Thanksgiving weekend, marking an uptick $228,949 for a total of $634,198, and has grossed $44,258,262 to date. The national tour of the show launched Monday at the Providence Performing Arts Center in Rhode Island.