STAGE

There’s slow biz for “Les Miz,” so come July 2, “Les Miserables” is folding its barricade at the Shubert Theatre and heading for San Francisco. Lagging attendance--particularly in the balcony seats and on weeknights--is the official explanation. However, the show is not scheduled to open in San Francisco until fall, and reports have circulated that the producers are closing here early to avoid paying the actors a per diem during a two- or three-month hiatus. But a spokeswoman for the show insists that’s not so. “Equity rules allow for them not to be paid, so the producers really don’t have to, and they haven’t decided yet whether they will or not.” Venues and dates aren’t firm for the Bay Area staging, but a late-September or early-October opening is expected.