Michael Moore denied his show closed early, as Donald Trump claimed. Photo / AP
Like many of President Donald Trump's tweets, the one lashing out at film-maker Michael Moore seemed to come out of nowhere.
"While not at all presidential ..." it began, before taking aim at Moore's Broadway play, The Terms of My Surrender, which had ended its run the weekend before.
"I must point out that the Sloppy Michael Moore Show on Broadway was a TOTAL BOMB and was forced to close. Sad!" Trump tweeted.
While not at all presidential I must point out that the Sloppy Michael Moore Show on Broadway was a TOTAL BOMB and was forced to close. Sad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 28, 2017
It's unclear what prompted the Trump tweet, though like Moore himself, The Terms of My Surrender, did not hold back on its criticisms of Trump and his presidency.
Officially, the play was billed as "a hilarious satirical tour through the depraved new world we find ourselves in since appointing a madman as the leader of the free world".
Promotional posters for the one-man show, which featured a rotating band of guests, trumpeted: "Can a Broadway show bring down a sitting president?"
The New Yorker's Michael Schulman called it "a cheeky rebuke to the Trump Administration that plays mostly as a liberal pep rally".
1) You must have my smash hit of a Broadway show confused with your presidency-- which IS a total bomb and WILL indeed close early. NOT SAD https://t.co/URgXgzWWVk
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) October 29, 2017
A few hours after Trump's tweet, Moore responded on Twitter to dispute claims the show had bombed or closed early. The Terms of My Surrender began previews at the Belasco Theatre in New York on July 28 and officially opened on August 10. It was always scheduled for a 12-week engagement; its final performance was October 22.
Moore said as much at the weekend, reiterating that the limited run was because of his commitments to other TV and movie projects.
"On Broadway, Donald, they call it a 'LIMITED ENGAGEMENT' - just like we're planning on making your presidency," Moore fired back.
11) For now, at least, I know I still have one fan in the White House (thx for your unwavering support, Jared!) pic.twitter.com/mTwLxW4KgR
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) October 29, 2017
He also posted an undated photo of himself with Jared Kushner, saying he still had "one fan in the White House".
In addition, Moore claimed The Terms of My Surrender, was the highest-grossing nonmusical play of the northern summer, "despite my offering US$29 ($42) cheap seats + free student tix so ALL could afford". Broadway League statistics showed the show grossed US$4.2 million, just under half of its potential gross, with an average capacity of 78 per cent. Playbill confirmed it was the highest-grossing nonmusical play among those that opened this summer, though another that had opened earlier (The Play That Goes Wrong) grossed more in the 12-week period in which Moore's play ran.
The Washington Post's theatre critic, Peter Marks, gave The Terms of My Surrender, a lacklustre review, calling it "less a jaunty excursion than an unvarnished ego trip" and "a slog through cringe-inducing skits and only occasionally engaging anecdotes about Moore's stumble into the life of a political gadfly".
Moore also accused Trump of trying to distract from more-pressing issues, such as the situation in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and special counsel Robert Mueller III's ongoing investigation into whether Trump's campaign co-ordinated with Russians seeking to meddle in the 2016 election.