Ghost the Musical,” an adaptation of the Academy Award winning 1990 film, will play its final performance on Broadway, August 18, at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Previews for “Ghost” began March 15, 2012 and it officially opened on April 23, 2012. The production played 39 previews and 136 regular performances.

“Ghost” is a story about two lovers, Molly and Sam. As the couple is walking home one night to their New York apartment, Sam is mugged and murdered. That is not the end of the story for the young couple, because Sam comes back from the dead as a ghost and communicates with Molly through the help of psychic reader Oda Mae Brown.

The stars of the production are Caissie Levy and Richard Fleeshman who play Molly and Sam. Da’Vine Joy Randolph, who earned a Tony nomination for the production, plays the part of Oda Mae Brown.

Cassie Levy (Molly) made her Broadway debut in “Hairspray,” as Penny Pingleton. She is also known for role in “Hair” as Sheila on both Broadway and West End.

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“Ghost” was Richard Fleeshman’s (Sam) Broadway debut. The British singer, songwriter, and actor is most known for televisionss Coronation Street where he plays Craig Harris. He made his stage debut in West End’s Legally Blonde production, as Warner Huntington III.

Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Oda Mae Brown) also made her Broadway debut with her role in “Ghost.” Randolph is no stranger to the production and her fellow cast mates — she performed in select performances with Fleeshman and Levy in 2011 in the shows West End production. Some of her other performances include roles in: “Servant of Two Masters” at the Yale Repertory Theater and “Hair” at the Prince Music Theater in Philadelphia.

“Ghost” director Matthew Warchus is a Tony Award winner for the 2009 production “God of Carnage.” Next up he is scheduled to direct “Matilda the Musical,” which is set to open on Broadway spring of 2013.

“Ghost” has never made it to the $1 million mark in weekly gross ticket sales. Its highest weekly gross ticket sales were $704,545 as of the week ending July 29, according to Playbill.com. It’s being considered a financial loss, despite the production’s technical effects, which were expected to be a large draw for the show, that aid in creating the illusion of Fleeshman as a ghost for the audience.

Charles Isherwood of The New York Times said the production was a “thrill-free singing theme-park ride.” This lack of thrills could be the reason “Ghost” never took off on Broadway.

“Ghost” originally premiered March 2011 in London with the stars Fleeshman and Levy. London’s production is scheduled to close on October 6, 2012. “Ghost” was nominated for three Tony awards. The musical also won the 2012 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design and the 2012 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Lighting Design.

Despite a poor performance on Broadway, this is not the end of the road for “Ghost”, because it’s set to go on a national tour, scheduled for fall of 2013. A non-English language production of the show will open with previews in the Netherlands at the end of August. Plans for the production of “Ghost” have also been set in Korea, Germany, Sweden, Hungary, Japan, China, and Australia.

For more information on the productions of “Ghost the Musical” visit: Ghostthemusical.com.

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