Broadway’s box office slipped this past week, dropping to $18,148,273 from the previous week’s total of $19,217,412. The same week last season reported only $17,853,836. The gross box office return however continues to compare favorably when compared to the same point in the previous season, $265,496,860 to $258,130,894. That represents a difference of 2.9 percent increase this year.

Attendance for the week was 81 percent compared to the 83 percent last week. Two closings contributed to the drop in attendance with “Race” closing on August 21 and “South Pacific” on August 22. Five productions enjoyed audiences hovering at or above full capacity.

Six productions posted more than a million in ticket sales, a cookie cutter of the previous reporting period. Those productions were “Wicked” at the Gershwin, “The Lion King” at the Minskoff, “The Addams Family” at the Lunt-Fontanne, “Mary Poppins” at the New Amsterdam, “Billy Elliot” at the Imperial and “Jersey Boys” at the August Wilson.

Come Fly Away” at the Marquis reported the largest increase in audience capacity, almost 10 percent. That attendance bump helped account for an increase of $53,859 in gross revenue, also the largest increase on Broadway. “Promises, Promises” at the Broadway Theatre on the other hand posted the largest decreases in both attendance and gross revenue, dropping 10 percent in attendance and $127,360 in gross revenue.

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The shows that met their Gross Gross Potential were “Wicked” at almost 108 percent and “The Lion King” at close to 102 percent.

The Top Ticket continues to be sold by “Jersey Boys” while “Next to Normal” at the Booth offers the Best Buy Ticket as suggested by the Average Paid Admission of $60.81.

Jerry Lee Lewis will join the musical “Million Dollar Quartet” at the Nederlander for one performance only on Sept. 10. He is the last surviving member of the quartet the show was based on. Levi Kreis has played him onstage in this production.

All data provided by The Broadway League

Broadway Gross Ticket Sales
Week Ending August 22, 2010

Production
(Theatre)
Weekly Gross Total Atten. Prev. Perf. Total Capacity Avg. Ticket Price Atten. %
A Little Night Music
(Kerr)
$539,005 6,602 0 8 931 $81.64 88.6%
American Idiot
(St. James)
$707,740 8,761 0 8 1,709 $80.78 64.1%
Billy Elliot
(Imperial)
$1,039,995 10,878 0 8 1,421 $95.61 95.7%
Chicago
(Ambassador)
$534,347 6,853 0 8 1,080 $77.97 79.3%
Come Fly Away
(Marquis)
$635,399 9,049 0 8 1,611 $70.22 70.2%
Fela!
(O’Neill)
$482,416 6,378 0 8 1,030 $75.64 77.4%
In the Heights
(Rodgers)
$634,335 8,462 0 8 1,344 $74.96 78.7%
Jersey Boys
(August Wilson)
$1,020,157 9,643 0 8 1,228 $105.79 98.2%
La Cage aux Folles
(Longacre)
$602,152 6,678 0 8 1,057 $90.17 79.0%
Mamma Mia!
(Winter Garden)
$886,815 10,184 0 8 1,498 $87.08 85.0%
Mary Poppins
(New Amsterdam)
$1,052,470 12,781 0 8 1,797 $82.35 88.9%
Memphis
(Shubert)
$854,846 9,610 0 8 1,470 $88.95 81.7%
Million Dollar Quartet
(Nederlander)
$450,851 5,633 0 8 1,214 $80.04 58.0%
Next to Normal
(Booth)
$298,132 4,903 0 8 772 $60.81 79.4%
Promises, Promises
(Broadway)
$966,150 10,901 0 8 1,747 $88.63 78.0%
Race
(Barrymore)
$274,787 4,149 0 8 1,058 $66.23 49.0%
Rock of Ages
(Atkinson)
$511,836 6,442 0 8 997 $79.45 80.8%
South Pacific
(Beaumont)
$626,513 7,284 0 7 1,041 $86.01 100.0%
The Addams Family
(Lunt-Fontanne)
$1,125,749 10,417 0 8 1,519 $108.07 85.7%
The Lion King
(Minskoff)
$1,632,627 13,425 0 8 1,677 $121.61 100.1%
The Phantom of the Opera
(Majestic)
$857,575 10,778 0 8 1,615 $79.57 83.4%
West Side Story
(Palace)
$726,347 9,982 0 8 1,697 $72.77 73.5%
Wicked
(Gershwin)
$1,688,034 14,472 0 8 1,809 $116.64 100.0%
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