Cirque du Soleil's production "Iris" is ending its run earlier than expected due to low demand.
The production, which opened in September 2011 at the Dolby Theatre at the Hollywood and Highland complex, will stage its last performance Jan. 19. It was originally intended to be at least a 10-year run.
"Iris" ran for nearly 500 shows at the Dolby.
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A Cirque du Soleil spokeswoman cited low ticket demand as the reason for the closure, noting in a statement that "despite phenomenal reviews and enthusiastic audience response, demand has not met projections."
The Quebec-based company added that it intends to "redeploy as many of our artists and employees as possible to other Cirque du Soleil projects."
One of Cirque du Soleil's most ambitious projects, the Danny Elfman-scored "Iris" came with a price tag of nearly $100 million, according to the Los Angeles Times, and Cirque sank about $40 million into renovating the Dolby — then the Kodak Theatre — so that it could accommodate the production except during the annual Academy Awards show for which the theater was built.
Tickets for the show range from $43 in the upper balcony of the Dolby, which has a seating capacity of about 3,300, to $253 for the VIP package that includes free parking, a free beverage and a discount at a nearby restaurant. Standard orchestra seats go for $133, although discount ticket websites have been selling seats for $45 to $79.
The show received a mostly enthusiastic review from the Los Angeles Times' Charles McNulty. While citing some "goofy dead spots" in the show, he ultimately determined, "Before the pharmaceutical companies took over, movies were Americans’ drug of choice, the best remedy for the cares and woes of workaday life.'Iris' is a more luxurious elixir, but in paying homage to the fantasy of film, the show incarnates those same stardust properties that make movies so everlastingly potent."
Cirque's other resident shows are "La Nouba" in Orlando, Fla., and "Criss Angel: Believe," "Ka," "The Beatles: Love," "Mystere," "O," "Zarkana" and "Zumanity" in Las Vegas. It has several touring productions and arena shows throughout the world.