Spring break was not enough to keep Broadway’s gross ticket sales afloat this week as overall earnings fell by nearly $3.5 million through the week ending April 22 — the lowest sales have been since April 1, when they totaled $23.8 million.
With just one week remaining in the 2011-2012 theater season, the Great White Way took in $25.9 million compared to $29.7 million the previous week, with a decrease among 29 productions and an increase among just 10, according to figures posted by The Broadway League. Several top-earning Broadway shows took a significant hit in sales, which ultimately led to the overall decrease in gross sales.
While family favorites like “The Lion King,” “Wicked,” and “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” still top the earnings chart in terms of gross sales, the week proved to be tough for these shows as they had some of the greatest decreases among all of the productions. According to figures on Playbill.com, “Spider-Man” ($1.4 million) had a difference in sales of $393,645 while “Wicked” ($1.8 million) recorded a difference of $353,027. However, “Mary Poppins” experience the greatest loss for the week, earning just $845,512 in ticket sales, down 33.9 percent.
It was a good week for Broadway newcomers as most of them managed to avoid a loss in sales. “Nice Work If You Can Get It” ($929,949) continues to climb with sales just under $1 million over eight preview performances. The show stars Matthew Broderick and officially opens April 24. Broadway.com recently reported that “Nice Work” has already received nine nominations for the annual Outer Critics Circle Awards, the most of any nominee. “Newsies” ($907,684) experienced a dip in sales but still had a successful week with sales nearing $1 million. The musical received seven Outer Critics Circle Awards nominations; “Once” also earned seven nominations.
Other Broadway newbies that increased sales through April 22 include Gore Vidal’s “The Best Man” ($860,132), “End of the Rainbow” ($397,233), “Peter and the Starcatcher” ($315,518), and “The Columnist” ($265,796).
“One Man, Two Guvnors,” which officially opened April 18, had the second greatest increase in sales through the week ending April 15, but was unable to continue to make gains with gross sales of $455,357, down 7.3 percent. “The Lyons” was able to nearly triple its sales through the week ending April 15 taking in $127,852 — through April 22 the show only earned about $2,000 over the previous week’s sales.
“A Street Car Named Desire” officially opened April 22 after just under three weeks of preview performances. The show earned $311,556, with a decrease in sales of $16,445, over seven preview performances and just one regular performance through the week ending April 22. “Clybourne Park” opened April 19 and earned $282,159 in ticket sales, up 7.2 percent over three preview shows and five regular performances.
According to Broadway.com “Death of a Salesman” broke another house record for the fourth time at the Barrymore Theatre with sales totaling $892,533. “Evita” also experienced a milestone last week, passing “Spider-Man” for the number four spot at the box office in terms of gross sales.
Prior to the end of the 2011-2012 theater season, several productions will officially open on the Great White Way including “Ghost the Musical” and “The Lyons” on April 23, “Nice Work If You Can Get It” on April 24, and “Don’t Dress for Dinner” and “Leap of Faith” on April 26. According to Broadway.com, “The Columnist” which officially opens April 25 will extend its limited engagement from June 17 to June 24 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
Broadway Gross Ticket Sales
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| Production (Theatre) |
Weekly Gross | Total Atten. | Prev. | Perf. | Total Capacity | Avg. Ticket Price | Atten. % |
| A Streetcar…Desire (Broadhurst) |
$311,556 | 7,439 | 7 | 1 | 1,168 | $41.88 | 79.6% |
| Anything Goes (Sondheim) |
$511,158 | 6,005 | 0 | 8 | 1,026 | $85.12 | 73.2% |
| Chicago (Ambassador) |
$546,370 | 6,660 | 0 | 8 | 1,080 | $82.04 | 77.1% |
| Clybourne Park (Kerr) |
$282,159 | 6,262 | 3 | 5 | 951 | $45.06 | 82.3% |
| Death of a Salesman (Barrymore) |
$892,533 | 7,214 | 0 | 7 | 1,036 | $123.72 | 99.5% |
| Don’t Dress For Dinner (American Airlines) |
$190,906 | 5,038 | 8 | 0 | 728 | $37.89 | 86.5% |
| End…Rainbow (Belasco) |
$397,233 | 5,000 | 0 | 8 | 990 | $79.45 | 63.1% |
| Evita (Marquis) |
$1,488,498 | 12,027 | 0 | 8 | 1,612 | $123.76 | 93.3% |
| Ghost (Lunt-Fontanne) |
$529,927 | 9,126 | 7 | 0 | 1,448 | $58.07 | 90.0% |
| Godspell (Circle in Square) |
$269,456 | 4,165 | 0 | 8 | 735 | $64.70 | 70.8% |
| Gore Vidal’s The Best Man (Schoenfeld) |
$860,132 | 8,082 | 0 | 8 | 1,063 | $106.43 | 95.0% |
| How to Succeed… (Hirschfeld) |
$517,934 | 6,753 | 0 | 9 | 1,424 | $76.70 | 52.7% |
| Jersey Boys (August Wilson) |
$936,187 | 8,879 | 0 | 8 | 1,228 | $105.44 | 90.4% |
| Jesus Christ Superstar (Simon) |
$658,515 | 7,385 | 0 | 8 | 1,424 | $89.17 | 64.8% |
| Leap of Faith (St. James) |
$268,530 | 8,989 | 7 | 0 | 1,367 | $29.87 | 93.9% |
| Magic/Bird (Longacre) |
$163,223 | 4,774 | 0 | 8 | 1,077 | $34.19 | 55.4% |
| Mamma Mia! (Winter Garden) |
$734,105 | 8,994 | 0 | 8 | 1,498 | $81.62 | 75.1% |
| Mary Poppins (New Amsterdam) |
$845,512 | 11,465 | 0 | 8 | 1,797 | $73.75 | 79.8% |
| Memphis (Shubert) |
$662,844 | 9,172 | 0 | 8 | 1,470 | $72.27 | 78.0% |
| Newsies (Nederlander) |
$907,684 | 9,522 | 0 | 8 | 1,195 | $95.32 | 99.6% |
| Nice Work If You Can Get It (Imperial) |
$929,949 | 10,467 | 8 | 0 | 1,439 | $88.85 | 90.9% |
| Once (Jacobs) |
$639,761 | 7,134 | 0 | 8 | 1,058 | $89.68 | 84.3% |
| One Man, Two Guvnors (Music Box) |
$455,357 | 6,755 | 1 | 7 | 975 | $67.41 | 86.6% |
| Other Desert Cities (Booth) |
$286,175 | 3,694 | 0 | 8 | 761 | $77.47 | 60.7% |
| Peter and the Starcatcher (Atkinson) |
$315,518 | 5,716 | 0 | 8 | 1,064 | $55.20 | 67.2% |
| Porgy and Bess (Rodgers) |
$533,268 | 6,016 | 0 | 8 | 1,335 | $88.64 | 56.3% |
| Priscilla…Desert (Palace) |
$574,140 | 7,593 | 0 | 8 | 1,689 | $75.61 | 56.2% |
| Rock of Ages (Hayes) |
$391,685 | 4,153 | 0 | 8 | 583 | $94.31 | 89.0% |
| Seminar (Golden) |
$166,557 | 3,298 | 0 | 8 | 804 | $50.50 | 51.3% |
| Sister Act (Broadway) |
$715,351 | 9,234 | 0 | 8 | 1,755 | $77.47 | 65.8% |
| Spider-Man…Dark (Foxwoods) |
$1,442,773 | 13,588 | 0 | 8 | 1,930 | $106.18 | 88.0% |
| The Book of Mormon (O’Neill) |
$1,601,055 | 8,752 | 0 | 8 | 1,066 | $182.94 | 102.6% |
| The Columnist (Friedman) |
$265,796 | 4,865 | 8 | 0 | 650 | $54.63 | 93.6% |
| The Lion King (Minskoff) |
$1,804,258 | 13,344 | 0 | 8 | 1,677 | $135.21 | 99.5% |
| The Lyons (Cort) |
$129,854 | 6,172 | 8 | 0 | 1,079 | $21.04 | 71.5% |
| The Phantom of the Opera (Majestic) |
$836,141 | 10,815 | 0 | 8 | 1,605 | $77.31 | 84.2% |
| Venus in Fur (Lyceum) |
$271,054 | 3,482 | 0 | 8 | 906 | $77.84 | 48.0% |
| War Horse (Beaumont) |
$777,917 | 7,317 | 0 | 8 | 1,069 | $106.32 | 85.6% |
| Wicked (Gershwin) |
$1,800,949 | 14,042 | 0 | 8 | 1,809 | $128.25 | 97.0% |
All date provided by The Broadway League.
