Dead Outlaw Musical Closes Broadway After 73 Performances

The Tony-nominated musical Dead Outlaw will play its final Broadway performance on June 29 at the Longacre Theatre after a run of 73 regular performances and 14 previews. Despite receiving glowing reviews, a loyal following, and seven 2025 Tony nominations including Best Musical, the show struggled commercially and did not win any awards. The musical, which tells the bizarre true story of outlaw Elmer McCurdy whose mummified body became a long-traveling curiosity, features music and lyrics by David Yazbek and Erik Della Penna, a book by Itamar Moses, and direction by David Cromer. Producers Lia Vollack and Sonia Friedman described the show as a "true outlier"—strange, singular, and enduring—but noted that its commercial momentum was insufficient in a crowded season. The production had a successful Off-Broadway premiere at Audible’s Minetta Lane Theatre and won multiple awards prior to its Broadway run. While the Broadway run ends, the musical will continue its afterlife with a cast album released this fall and a full audio play debut on Audible in October.