Veteran Broadway Press Agent To Close Up Shop Veteran Broadway press agent Michael Hartman announced on Monday that he is closing his company, the Hartman Group, on Jan. 5, leaving his account executives to quickly find new agencies for, among other shows, the blockbuster "Wicked," the fan favorite "Rock of Ages," and the coming musicals "Rocky," "If/Then," "The Last Ship" (Sting's Broadway debut as a composer) and "Houdini" (starring Tony Award winner Hugh Jackman). Several Broadway producers said in interviews on Monday that they were surprised by the news - coming in the middle of a busy theater season - but did not foresee problems for the shows themselves. Mr. Hartman, 48, said in an interview that he had been mulling "the third act" in his career after 20 years as a theatrical press agent, including 10 years as a partner in one agency and then the last four years with his own shop. A new opportunity opened this fall: Mr. Hartman said he was offered and accepted the position of chief executive officer of Amy's Ice Creams, a popular chain in Texas, where he worked for four years after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Hartman said he and his husband, Nick Mayo, who were married in September, had been contemplating an eventual move back to Texas, their home state. "We both want to have a child, and we started to think about making our way down there one day, to raise a family and be around our families, and then it got fast-tracked because a great job became available," Mr. Hartman said. Mr. Mayo is an actor who has performed on Broadway, most recently in the 2011 revival of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying." Asked if he had become burned out working in the demanding Broadway arena, Mr. Hartman said, "I don't think I feel any more burned out than anyone else in this business." He said that the Hartman Group was in good financial shape - a point reiterated by some of his clients on Monday - and that there were no business troubles or other reasons behind his move. Mr. Hartman has a staff of 11 people, and they were mulling their options on Monday. The company's current shows seem likely to stay with their account executives, but whether they go to another agency or start their own firms is too soon to tell. Several executives at the firm declined to comment on their future plans on Monday. As for musicals like "The Last Ship" and "Houdini" that are a ways off from opening, their producers will have decisions to make. The Hartman Group and Boneau/Bryan-Brown are widely regarded among Broadway executives as the most powerful press agencies in New York theater, given the number of Broadway and Off Broadway productions and theaters they represent. "In the theater community, this is like Coke and Pepsi, and one of them decides to get out of the soft drink business," said Scott Sanders, one of the lead producers on "Houdini," referring to the Hartman Group and Boneau/Bryan-Brown. Several other press agencies and publicists also represent Broadway shows. Mr. Sanders said that he will be speaking with Mr. Hartman in the coming weeks about "Houdini," which is aiming for Broadway in the 2015-16 season, as well as another gestating project, a musical version of the movie "Tootsie." "I'm very supportive of Michael's decision, as I think everyone is, because this is certainly the time in one's life to do something like this," Mr. Sanders said. We'll figure out how to successfully transition some of our projects to another firm or elsewhere.