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A savagely panned Broadway musical featuring music by Bob Dylan and a troupe of singing and dancing clowns is to close after less than a month-long run, the producers said Thursday.
"The Times They Are A-Changin'," which uses Dylan's lyrics and music to tell a story about a circus master and his dissatisfied employees, opened late last month and is to close on November 19, after just 28 performances.
The singer-songwriter surprised many by giving permission for his work to be used in the musical, after a lifetime spent avoiding the public glare.
Reviewers roundly panned choreographer Twyla Tharp's show when it opened -- a surprise, considering that her previous effort, "Movin' Out," which used a Billy Joel soundtrack, was a runaway success.
Critics labelled the show everything from "plodding" and "an unengaging mess" to "just plain lame," accusing the producers of "steamrolling" Dylan's music.
"'The Times They Are A-Changin'' is so bad that it makes you forget how good the songs are," The Wall Street Journal said in its stinging writeup.
Box office takings were minimal and, according to Variety magazine, the show grossed just under 320,000 dollars during the week ended November 5, playing to houses that were only two-thirds full.
Dylan, who turned 65 in May, has shrugged off his advancing years, continuing on his so-called Never Ending Tour, taking on a new job as a radio DJ and publishing a selection of memoirs.
A reluctant voice for a disaffected generation who sought seclusion for most of his life, Dylan has been more open in recent years, notably appearing in a Martin Scorsese documentary.
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AFPEntertainment-music-theatre-people-Dylan
AFP 091950 GMT 11 06
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