Broadway box office took a step back last week, with most shows reporting receipt drops from the prior week (which included Veterans Day Weekend, perhaps boosting tourist money). In all, the 36 Broadway productions grossed $32,819,621 for the week ending Nov. 17, about 7% down from the previous week.
Attendance, though, held steady at 289,802. The drop in revenue had mostly to do with lower average ticket prices.
The tumble hit some of the relative newcomers particularly hard. Slave Play at the Golden dropped by more than $60G, settling at $404,901, about 49% of its potential. The Height of the Storm was off about $41G at $251,376 (35% of potential at the Friedman), and The Lightning Thief tumbled by $81G to $255,064, about 30% of potential at the Longacre.
Opening to favorable reviews, The Inheritance, at the Barrymore, was off by more than $200G, but that reflects opening night comps and press seats. Attendance was 85% of capacity, while receipts of $510,026 were just 45% of potential. Next week’s grosses should better reflect the production’s draw.
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical also had several heavily comped press performances, but still hit a show best of $1.5M at the Lunt-Fontanne. To Kill A Mockingbird, playing with its new replacement cast headed by Ed Harris, was SRO and, at $1.8M, stood at 104% of potential.
Like most of the others on the roster, Jagged Little Pill, the Alanis Morissette musical in previews at the Broadhurst, slipped from the previous week, but still took in $1M, about 81% of potential.
Kristin Chenoweth: For The Girls, the Broadway star’s very limited run holiday solo show that came and went at the Nederlander, filled all seats for its eight performances (spread out over the last two weeks), grossing $969,894, a solid 75% of potential with an average ticket price of $101.
Another holiday specialty, Slava’s Snowshow at the Sondheim, took in $279,547 for five previews and three regular performances. That includes some press and opening night comps, helping to keep the percentage of potential low at $29%.
A Christmas Carol, starring Campbell Scott, Andrea Martin and LaChanze, was in previews at the Lyceum, grossing $257,525, just about 30% of potential. The production opens Nov. 20; look for reviews and word of mouth to spread the news on this one.
The week’s sell-outs (or virtually so, at 98% of capacity or more) were American Utopia, Come From Away, Hadestown, Hamilton, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Jagged Little Pill, Kristin Chenoweth: For The Girls, Moulin Rouge!, The Book of Mormon, Tina, and To Kill a Mockingbird.
Season to date, Broadway has grossed $812,903,192, down about 7% year to year. Total attendance to date is 6,779,280, holding steady with last season at this time.
All figures courtesy of the trade group Broadway League.