Not quite a traditional musical or a standard revue, “Heart and Lights” tells the story of two teenage cousins roaming New York, trying to decipher their grandmother’s past. “Unfortunately, Radio City Music Hall is fully booked, starting in early May and continuing through the ‘Christmas Spectacular,’ so we simply ran out of time to make the desired changes,” Mr. Ordinarily, the next step would have been to delay the opening for a few weeks until all the parts gelled to the satisfaction of everyone involved. He added, “Nevertheless, we needed a bit more time to improve the narrative and ensure we got the most out of the amazing songs that are an important part of the show.” “Every time our Rockettes took the stage, the energy and excitement soared,” Tad Smith, the president and chief executive of MSG, wrote in an email that was distributed after the announcement was made. There were problems with the music, that person added, and, as a result, there “was not enough time to make the changes we needed.” “The narrative was not coming together,” the person said, requesting anonymity because MSG has not authorized those affiliated with the show to discuss the matter. “Heart and Lights” was to have played 59 times over a five-week period, and was promoted for its “groundbreaking technology” and “state-of-the-art puppetry,” including a 26-foot-tall model of the Statue of Liberty.Ī person associated with the production said that, in contrast to the mechanical stumbles of recent high-tech Broadway productions like the recently closed “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” the problems with “Heart and Lights” were more old-fashioned.
The producer, MSG Entertainment, provided no further details on the nature of the problems that caused the delay in the opening, which is now anticipated to be in 2015. “ Heart and Lights,” a new dance-oriented show featuring the Rockettes, has been canceled less than a week before it was supposed to open at Radio City Music Hall, its producer announced on Friday, saying that “it has become clear that additional work is needed” before the production is ready for audiences.