With just 22 shows currently in production, Broadway gross ticket sales took a precipitous dive this past week, grossing only $13,382,272 compared to the previous week of $16,669,047. This season’s total is now only 1.8 percent ahead of last season, $311,687,481 this year compared to last year’s total of $306,293,118.

Attendance also took a huge hit this week, dropping to only 71 percent from 79.6 percent the previous reporting period. No production had more than 95 percent attendance, although Wicked at the Gershwin almost hit the mark. Only two shows were able to post over a million in ticket sales, which were “Wicked” and The Lion King at the Minskoff.

In its second week of previews, the play Mrs. Warren’s Profession at the American Airlines Theatre posted an increase of $45,434 over the previous week and the musical Million Dollar Quartet at the Nederlander was not far behind with an increase of $27,283. Those two productions were the only shows that posted any dollar gains. Meanwhile, there were much larger dollar losses. Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam reported a drop in ticket sales from $844,188 the previous week to $558,088 and The Addams Family at the Lunt-Fontanne reported a drop from $1,079,425 to $806,698 this week.

Looking at the Gross Gross Potential ranking, “Wicked” and Jersey Boys at the August Wilson Theatre posted the highest totals with 89 and 82 percent respectively. “Jersey Boys” still holds the Top Ticket at $350.

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The play Brief Encounter is in previews at the American Airlines Theatre. Opening Night will be on October 10.

Another play, The Pitmen Painters, opened to previews this week at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Opening Night for that show will be on September 30.

All data provided by The Broadway League.

Broadway Gross Ticket Sales
Week Ending September 12, 2010

Production
(Theatre)
Weekly Gross Total Atten. Prev. Perf. Total Capacity Avg. Ticket Price Atten. %
A Little Night Music
(Kerr)
$532,746 5,985 0 8 931 $89.01 80.4%
American Idiot
(St. James)
$430,449 7,613 0 7 1,709 $56.54 63.6%
Billy Elliot
(Imperial)
$854,498 9,553 0 8 1,421 $89.45 84.0%
Brief Encounter
(Studio 54)
$123,695 3,175 5 0 1,004 $38.96 63.2%
Chicago
(Ambassador)
$421,946 5,724 0 8 1,080 $73.72 66.3%
Fela!
(O’Neill)
$344,626 5,284 0 8 1,030 $65.22 64.1%
In the Heights
(Rodgers)
$407,974 6,790 0 8 1,344 $60.08 63.2%
Jersey Boys
(August Wilson)
$961,606 9,271 0 8 1,228 $103.72 94.4%
La Cage aux Folles
(Longacre)
$458,895 5,458 0 8 1,057 $84.08 64.5%
Mamma Mia!
(Winter Garden)
$775,403 10,251 0 8 1,498 $75.64 85.5%
Mary Poppins
(New Amsterdam)
$558,088 7,879 0 8 1,797 $70.83 54.8%
Memphis
(Shubert)
$777,222 8,537 0 8 1,470 $91.04 72.6%
Million Dollar Quartet
(Nederlander)
$495,360 5,680 0 8 1,214 $87.21 58.5%
Mrs. Warren’s Profession
(American Airlines)
$179,981 4,167 7 0 740 $43.19 80.4%
Next to Normal
(Booth)
$236,417 4,107 0 8 772 $57.56 66.5%
Promises, Promises
(Broadway)
$825,154 8,962 0 8 1,747 $92.07 64.1%
Rock of Ages
(Atkinson)
$410,239 5,814 0 8 997 $70.56 72.9%
The Addams Family
(Lunt-Fontanne)
$806,698 7,959 0 8 1,519 $101.36 65.5%
The Lion King
(Minskoff)
$1,228,315 11,189 0 8 1,677 $109.78 83.4%
The Phantom of the Opera
(Majestic)
$664,515 9,129 0 8 1,615 $72.79 70.7%
West Side Story
(Palace)
$487,878 6,852 0 8 1,697 $71.20 50.5%
Wicked
(Gershwin)
$1,400,569 13,742 0 8 1,809 $101.92 95.0%