‘India’ Canceled

The Hamburg run of “India” has been canceled amid rumours that the company behind it is about to file for bankruptcy.

A note on the show’s Web site blames the blanket of ice and snow that’s covered the city, in turn leading to poor ticket sales.

The site says sales are 70,000 less than what was expected after “India” premiered in Frankfurt Dec. 17 and ran through late January.

“India ”was expected to stay in its 2,000-capacity tent at Heiligengeistfeld in the St. Pauli district until Feb. 28. The show is produced by Mörfelden-based Prime Time Entertainment AG, the company that sold more than 3 million tickets during the global tour of “Africa! Africa!” and also ran The Three Tenors world tour.

The German industry has been crackling with rumours that the production, which was directed by Franco Dragone of “Cirque du Soleil” fame, has hit financial trouble.

It cost an estimated euro 8 million to produce and Prime Time chief Matthias Hoffmann is known to have been actively seeking funding partners from inside and outside the industry.

The Web site says the advance sales in Hamburg weren’t strong enough to cover the running costs. At press time nobody at Prime Time was available for comment.

“India” is to open in Berlin March 5 and run until April 11, before moving on to Munich (April 15-23), followed by month-long runs in Brussels, Dusseldorf and Vienna.

Hoffmann is no stranger to financial difficulties. In 1998 a Mannheim court sentenced him to five years and eight months in prison for tax evasion.

He was found guilty of evading nearly $10 million in taxes during the course of The Tenors Tour.