▁ ▁J ab ara ▁had ▁written ▁the ▁show ▁specifically ▁for ▁B ette ▁Mid ler , ▁who ▁passed ▁on ▁the ▁project . ▁E yen ▁was ▁brought ▁in ▁to ▁over ha ul ▁the ▁book ▁and ▁replace ▁original ▁director ▁Ron ▁Link , ▁and ▁Gro ver ▁D ale ▁was ▁h ired ▁to ▁assist ▁Tony ▁Stevens ▁with ▁the ▁ch ore ography . ▁ ▁The ▁Broadway ▁production ▁began ▁pre views ▁on ▁November ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 9 7 3 . ▁Within ▁days , ▁it ▁was ▁obvious ▁to ▁everyone ▁involved ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁beyond ▁repair . ▁On ▁December ▁ 1 , ▁a ▁small ▁notice ▁in ▁the ▁local ▁newsp apers ▁announced ▁the ▁show ▁would ▁be ▁closing ▁that ▁night , ▁prior ▁to ▁its ▁official ▁opening . ▁ ▁The ▁demand ▁for ▁tick ets ▁was ▁immediate . ▁Theatre ▁buff s ▁who ▁revel ▁in ▁the ▁cal am it ous ▁as ▁much ▁as ▁the ▁classical ▁were ▁determined ▁to ▁see ▁what ▁was ▁dest ined ▁to ▁go ▁down ▁in ▁the ▁Broadway ▁ann als ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁all - time ▁biggest ▁flo ps . ▁When ▁the ▁cur tain ▁went ▁up ▁that ▁night , ▁the ▁cast ▁was ▁facing ▁a ▁sold - out ▁house . ▁Frank ▁Rich ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁Times ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁musical ▁had ▁a ▁small ▁hard core ▁group ▁of ▁fans ▁who ▁had ▁followed ▁its ▁evolution ▁from ▁the ▁beginning ▁and ▁already ▁had ▁seen ▁it ▁several ▁times : ▁" In ▁scattered ▁po ckets ▁throughout ▁the ▁otherwise ▁shell - sh ock ed ▁house ▁were ▁cla ques ▁of ▁the ater go ers ▁who ▁sang ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁musical