INCREASED SALES GET ‘NICKLEBY’ N.Y. RUN EXTENDED

“The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby,” which was to close prematurely Sept. 28 because of poor business, has been extended through Oct. 12 because of an increase in ticket sales.

Box office receipts for the week that ended Sunday, were $231,047, up from $165,295 the previous week, Marc Thibodeau, a spokesman for the show, said Monday. That figure was still more than $65,000 short of the $300,000 weekly break-even point, he said, but ticket sales for this week have been strong.

The 8 1/2-hour Royal Shakespeare Company production has a cast of 36 actors and cost an estimated $1.5 million to produce.

“Nicholas Nickleby” was scheduled originally to run in New York through Nov. 16 but an earlier closing notice was posted last week. The show opened Aug. 24 to generally favorable reviews. A national tour has been canceled, Thibodeau said.