Spice Girls musical `Viva Forever!` to shut shop in June

London: Spice Girls musical ` Viva Forever!` will be closing in June, six months after it was first shown.

Scathing reviews and audience indifference has forced the producers to call time on the musical, leaving its backers with a 5-million-dollar loss. All five band members of the all-girl group had united for the high-profile launch of the West End show at the Piccadilly Theatre last November. It was conceived by Judy Craymer, the person behind the global hit `Mamma Mia!` and was written by comedy star Jennifer Saunders. However, the show, which satirised `The X Factor,` telling the story of an aspiring singer, who, with her best friends, gets swept up in a TV talent search, was ravaged by critics. The musical featured all of the Spice Girls hits, including `Wannabe` but even a revamp of it failed to improve ticket sales and cast members were told after Wednesday`s performance that the show would close on June 29, the Independent reported. Craymer said that the show has evolved since they first opened and is now brighter, lighter and funnier, but despite wonderful audiences and extremely positive feedback they just can`t make it work. She said that she announced the decision to post closing notices "with a heavy heart." She said that the show was "taking its leave for now in the West End." The show was backed by Simon Fuller, the music entrepreneur who put Spice Girls together. It was hoped that the musical will be rolled out as a global franchise, running simultaneously on stages from Broadway to Asia, where the band became huge stars. ANI