Barely more than a month after it opened at the Rio Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas, the Duck Commander musical is set to close, with its final performance scheduled on May 17, producers revealed.
The broadway-style musical opened on April 8 and told the the rags-to-riches story of the Robertson family, best known for their hit television show Duck Dynasty. But despite its short stint in Las Vegas, the musical will continue to play in different locations.
The production crew offered this statement to Playbill: "The production is thrilled to have had the opportunity to develop the Duck Commander Musical at the Rio. Much has been learned from this limited engagement, and from the great support from everyone who has come to see this first staging of this completely new musical. Duck Commander will now consider several possible opportunities for the next stage in the life of the show, including extended sit-down engagements in interested cities, as well as a national tour."
Director Jeff Calhoun, meanwhile, described their next move as an "incarnation," and he told the New York Times that everything they learned from their short stint in Vegas will prove valuable to the musical's future.
The show stars Mimi Besette, Jesse Lenat, Ginna Claire Mason, Ben Thompson, and Tad Wilson, and is directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun.
Creating the musical has been one emotional rollercoaster for the Robertson family, particularly Willie and Korie Robertson. In fact, when he first saw it on stage, Willie was reduced to tears.
"It's emotional at times," Willie told FOX News. "I was crying watching it because you just think about if something were to happen differently, then none of this would have happened."
The musical's story is very honest, according to Willie, and it even tackled the media firestorm their patriarch Phil went through after making scathing anti-gay comments to GQ magazine.
