New shows help boost Broadway ticket sales to nearly $20 million

This past week ticket sales hit $19,984,864, up from $17,278,360 the previous reporting period ending October 3. Comparing this season with the same point the last season, there is $380,024,747 in ticket sales to date; last season was at $379,276,895.

Of the 31 shows currently playing, Wicked at the Gershwin, The Lion King at the Minskoff, Jersey Boys at the August Wilson, Billy Elliot at the Imperial, Promises, Promises at the Broadway, The Addams Family at the Lunt-Fontanne and Memphis at the Shubert, each finished with ticket sales of more than $1 million.

“The Lion King” reported the largest increase in gross revenue this week, growing by $277,789. Mary Poppins at the New Amsterdam came in a close second with an increase of $215,472 over the previous week. American Idiot at the St. James shows what a difference a week — and the box office draw of a major name, Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong — can make with sales dropping by $524,603.

Attendance on Broadway finished at 82 percent, up for the week compared to the previous reporting period of 79.5 percent. While only five productions posted audiences at or above 95 percent, there are seven new shows in previews set to open shortly, boosting the bottom line. Those shows are:

• A Life in the Theatre, a play, opens October 12 at the Schoenfeld
• Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, a musical, opens October 13 at the Jacobs
• La Bête, a play, opens October 14 at the Music Box
• Lombardi, a play, opens October 21 at Circle in the Square,
• Driving Miss Daisy, a play, opens October 25 at the Golden
• The Scottsboro Boys, a musical, opens October 31 at the Lyceum
• Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, a musical, opens November 4 at the Belasco

The play Time Stands Still launched Opening Night at the Cort on October 7.

Fans of comedian Molly Shannon, who is well known for her “Saturday Night Live” stint, welcomed her Broadway debut in “Promises, Promises” playing the role of Marge MacDougall. She will appear in the role for a limited 12-week run through Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011, which is the closing date of this Tony Award-winning revival of Neil Simon’s book.