Broadway experienced a slight hiccup in attendance and box office this past week, down about $1.5 million from last week to $13,630,247. The total is also less than the same week last season of $14,835,794.
Of the 25 productions currently on the Way, just two musicals made a million-plus in ticket sales: Wicked at the Gershwin and West Side Story at the Palace. In third place was Jersey Boys at the August Wilson at almost $956,000. Of the eight plays on Broadway, Blithe Spirit at the Shubert led ticket sales with stars Angela Lansbury, Rupert Everett and Christine Ebersole being huge draws. 33 Variations at the O’Neill and August: Osage County at the Music Box followed closely on the heels of “Blithe Spirit.”
Two other new productions to the Broadway stage also feature stars with high name recognition. The play, God of Carnage at the Jacobs Theatre, stars Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini and Marcia Gay Harden. Jeremy Irons and Joan Allen get top billing in another play, Impressionism, playing at the Schoenfeld,
Three shows reported 95 percent or better audiences: You’re Welcome, America. A Final Night with George Bush, playing at the Cort, Guys and Dolls at the Nederlander and “West Side Story.”
“33 Variations” at the O’Neill led attendance gains by only a small increase over the previous reporting period of four percent. Most shows experienced a drop: The 39 Steps at the Hayes proved to be the biggest loser in this category with a 27 percent decrease over the previous week’s attendance. Following closely behind was Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam and The Phantom of the Opera at the Majestic.
Pal Joey at Studio 54 enjoyed a too-brief run from November of 2008, closing this past Sunday. “Guys and Dolls” last seen on Broadway in 1992, opened the same day.
It appears even the road show versions of top-grossing Broadway hits are suffering from the economic slide. According to Variety, the twelve touring shows lost 11 percent in gross receipts week before last, ringing up $12,170,040.
Broadway Gross Ticket Sales Week ending March 1, 2009
All data provided by The Broadway League
Broadway Gross Ticket Sales
|
|||||||
| Production (Theatre) |
Weekly Gross | Total Atten. | Prev. | Perf. | Total Capacity | Avg. Ticket Price | Atten. % |
| 33 Variations (O’Neill) |
$255,692 | 4,740 | 8 | 0 | 1,059 | $53.94 | 55.9% |
| August: Osage County (Music Box) |
$246,357 | 4,124 | 0 | 8 | 979 | $59.74 | 52.7% |
| Avenue Q (Golden) |
$249,123 | 4,542 | 0 | 8 | 796 | $54.85 | 71.3% |
| Billy Elliot (Imperial) |
$986,886 | 9,312 | 0 | 8 | 1,421 | $105.98 | 81.9% |
| Blithe Spirit (Shubert) |
$323,955 | 4,857 | 5 | 0 | 1,479 | $66.70 | 65.7% |
| Chicago (Ambassador) |
$378,334 | 5,824 | 0 | 8 | 1,080 | $64.96 | 67.4% |
| God of Carnage (Jacobs) |
$118,607 | 1,635 | 2 | 0 | 1,078 | $72.54 | 75.8% |
| Guys and Dolls (Nederlander) |
$454,660 | 9,154 | 7 | 1 | 1,188 | $49.67 | 96.3% |
| Hedda Gabler (American Airlines) |
$213,285 | 4,333 | 0 | 8 | 740 | $49.22 | 73.2% |
| Impressionism (Schoenfeld) |
$59,699 | 809 | 1 | 0 | 1,071 | $73.79 | 75.5% |
| In the Heights (Rodgers) |
$737,490 | 9,679 | 0 | 8 | 1,365 | $76.19 | 88.6% |
| Jersey Boys (August Wilson) |
$955,865 | 9,019 | 0 | 8 | 1,222 | $105.98 | 92.3% |
| Mamma Mia! (Winter Garden) |
$754,745 | 10,628 | 0 | 8 | 1,498 | $71.01 | 88.7% |
| Mary Poppins (New Amsterdam) |
$587,828 | 10,100 | 0 | 8 | 1,797 | $58.20 | 70.3% |
| Pal Joey (Studio 54) |
$282,275 | 6,034 | 0 | 8 | 1,004 | $46.78 | 75.1% |
| Shrek (Broadway) |
$611,403 | 9,022 | 0 | 8 | 1,735 | $67.77 | 65.0% |
| South Pacific (Beaumont) |
$817,550 | 7,337 | 0 | 8 | 1,041 | $111.43 | 88.1% |
| The 39 Steps (Hayes) |
$162,117 | 2,903 | 0 | 8 | 589 | $55.84 | 61.6% |
| The American Plan (Friedman) |
$220,216 | 4,213 | 0 | 8 | 650 | $52.27 | 81.0% |
| The Lion King (Minskoff) |
$883,545 | 11,379 | 0 | 8 | 1,654 | $77.65 | 86.0% |
| The Little Mermaid (Lunt-Fontanne) |
$593,516 | 9,262 | 0 | 8 | 1,520 | $64.08 | 76.2% |
| The Phantom of the Opera (Majestic) |
$572,818 | 9,630 | 0 | 8 | 1,615 | $59.48 | 74.5% |
| West Side Story (Palace) |
$1,042,713 | 11,222 | 7 | 0 | 1,677 | $92.92 | 95.6% |
| Wicked (Gershwin) |
$1,241,055 | 13,709 | 0 | 8 | 1,809 | $90.53 | 94.7% |
| You’re Welcome… (Cort) |
$880,511 | 8,540 | 0 | 8 | 1,067 | $103.10 | 100.0% |
