Hugh Jackman's Exit From 'The Music Man,' Explained — Why Did He Leave the Broadway Show?

Broadway's current revival of the hit classical musical The Music Man will end its successful run on Jan. 1st, 2023. Why is the show closing, given its current success on the Broadway stage?

The closing date actually coincides with Hugh Jackman's planned exit from the role of Professor Harold Hill. So why did Hugh Jackman decide to leave The Music Man?

Fans only familiar with Hugh's work as the iconic hero Wolverine might be surprised by the actor's musical prowess. Back in 2004, Hugh won a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical for his starring performance in The Boy From Oz.

Hugh was nominated in the same category this year for his work in The Music Man.

Hugh himself has yet to release an official statement explaining his decision to leave The Music Man at the start of 2023.

However, Kate Horton, one of The Music Man's producers, released an official statement on the show's closing, per a report from Deadline.

The official statement reads, "We are so proud of our extraordinary company, led by Hugh and Sutton, for their tireless work in bringing joy to our audiences night after night. I am thrilled that Hugh and Sutton will continue to create their unique magic to the stage right through to the end of 2022 so that we can properly close out what has been a triumphant year for our entire industry."

Kate completed the official statement with, "Most of all, we are endlessly grateful for the faith and support of our audiences, whose love affair with our show has weathered even the most complicated circumstances a global pandemic could throw our way. We wish this ride could last forever but, alas, all good things must come to an end."

Per the same report from Deadline, Hugh recently missed a few performances of The Music Man in order to promote his new film, The Son, at the Venice International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.

Hugh also has several other projects in the works according to his IMDb page. He's rumored to be playing the role of Robert Ames in the film The Good Spy, which is currently in pre-production. The actor is also voicing a character in the animated series Koala Man.

Hugh is also playing an undisclosed role in a new television series called The Faraway Downs, according to his IMDb page — as always, take the IMDb listings with a grain of salt. The six part limited series will be released on Hulu, according to Deadline.

A Variety report states that producers were contemplating seeking a replacement for Hugh in The Music Man. However, they simply couldn't find a leading man that matched Hugh's star caliber.

Thankfully you can still catch Hugh onstage for the rest of the year before the curtain closes for The Music Man on Jan. 1st, 2023!