As is often the case, many Broadway shows will be closing at the end of December and well into January, including holiday attractions (“Ruben and Clay’s …,” “The Illusionists”), limited engagements (“The Lifespan of a Fact,” “Mike Birbiglia’s The New One”) and various other shows that have reached their end points, including the plays and musicals listed below. Here are some shows soon to shutter:
‘Summer: The Donna Summer Musical’
1.5 STARS: The disco-bio-jukebox musical, which opened last spring to negative reviews, features all of Summer’s crowd-pleasing hits (“Love to Love You Baby,” “Hot Stuff,” “Last Dance”). Three performers portray Summer at different stages of her life — which also happens to be the organizing concept for “The Cher Show.” At the end, the theater transforms into Studio 54, complete with giant mirror balls and glitter. Closes Dec. 30 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 205 W. 46th St.
‘Head Over Heels’
1.5 STARS: Another jukebox musical that opened to less-than-enthusiastic reviews, “Head Over Heels” inserts the hit songs of the all-female 1980s pop-punk band The Go-Go’s (“We Got the Beat,” “Vacation,” “Heaven Is a Place On Earth”) into a baffling, free-spirited, Elizabethan-era pastiche containing court masque-style painted scenery, dialogue in iambic pentameter, drag performance, colored lights, and an ostentatious dress code. Closes Jan. 6 at the Hudson Theatre, 141 W. 44th St.
‘Once on This Island’
4 STARS: Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s Caribbean-flavored fairy-tale musical has been performed by numerous schools and amateur groups since 1990, but there has probably never been a production quite like Michael Arden’s stunning, in-the-round production, which managed to snag the Tony for Best Musical Revival over “My Fair Lady.” Arden brings an unexpected dose of gritty realism while also honoring the musical’s gorgeous score, open spirituality and joyful theatricality. Closes Jan. 6 at Circle in the Square, 235 W. 50th St.
‘The Play That Goes Wrong’
3.5 STARS: This backstage farce (which played at its first performance at a fringe venue with four paying audience members) went on to become a hit both in London and on Broadway. A few months ago, its producers announced that the show would close in August, but later relented and extended the run to January, making it the longest-running play at the Lyceum Theatre since the 1940s. Closes on Jan. 6 at the Lyceum Theatre, 149 W. 45th St.
‘Torch Song’
3 STARS: The Broadway revival of Harvey Fierstein’s comedic drama (previously known as “Torch Song Trilogy”) ran 1,222 performances at the same theater where it is now playing. However, this production (which premiered Off-Broadway last year and stars Michael Urie as the sensitive drag performer Arnold Beckoff and Mercedes Ruehl as his domineering mother) will only manage to accrue 77 regular performances. A national tour with Urie will launch in the fall. Closes Jan. 6 at the Hayes Theater, 240 W. 44th St.
‘School of Rock’
3.5 STARS: Andrew Lloyd Webber returned to his rock roots and enjoyed his biggest hit in decades with this family-friendly musical adaptation of the 2003 Jack Black film. It has launched the careers of numerous young performers (who played their own instruments) in addition to original lead actor Alex Brightman, who will be returning to the same theater in the spring to play the title role in “Beetlejuice.” Closes Jan. 20 at the Winter Garden Theatre, 1634 Broadway.
