Broadway ticket sales fell close to $2 million through the week ending August 12. According to figures posted by The Broadway League, receipts totaled $21.8 million, down just over seven percent from the previous week. The Great White Way said goodbye to three shows last week, likely attributing to some of the decrease; however, 17 of the 25 running productions had an increase in sales — a big improvement since 17 shows saw a decrease the previous week.
“The Lion King” remains the king of Broadway with ticket sales totaling $2.2 million, according to Playbill.com. The show also had the greatest week-over-week increase with sales up $205,793 over the previous week. “Wicked” kept its sales above the $2 million mark and had the second-highest increase with sales up $133,902. Both shows played nine performances rather than the usual eight.
Another Broadway show also had an altered schedule this week. “Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth” ended its run with just six performances this week with sales down $44,374 and receipts totaling $580,122. Capacity for the show fell 18.7 percent this week with the Longacre Theatre filled to just 61.5 percent of capacity as opposed to 80.2 percent the previous week.
Last week, J. William Bruce, sales rep for Applause-Tickets.com told TicketNews that “Evita” would likely see another decrease in sales this week with star Ricky Martin off for vacation, and he was right. The show had the greatest loss in sales through Sunday, down $282,524 from the previous week. “Mamma Mia,” which is now in its 10th year on Broadway, had the second-greatest decrease this week, down $119,171. Bruce told TicketNews via email that the show might now be starting to show its age; however, despite the decrease, the musical is still holding its own with sales totaling nearly $900,000.
Broadway newbie “Bring It On” had the fourth-highest increase this week with sales up $85,422; however, the show’s home at the St. James Theatre was filled to just 74.3 percent of capacity, down 11.8 percent from the previous week. While the show continues to make gains, it is still the third-lowest grossing show on Broadway, according to Broadway.com. Bruce, sales rep for Applause-Tickets.com told TicketNews via email that sales for “Bring It On” should stay steady as several shows continue to close their doors — “it is something that is fresh and new…plus the reviews were good as well,” Bruce said.
This summer, Broadway saw a lot of shows play their final performance; however, the shows that still remain are showing that they’re in it for the long haul. Ticket sales for “The Book of Mormon,” “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” and “Once” remain over the $1 million mark. Several shows are also playing to packed houses with capacity over or close to 100 percent: “Newsies” at the Nederlander (101.6), “Once” at the Jacobs (100.6), “Rock of Ages” at the Hayes (98.5), and “The Lion King” at the Minskoff (98.9). “The Book of Mormon” continues to be a favorite, packing the O’Neill Theatre to 102.6 percent of capacity.
Broadway Gross Ticket Sales
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| Production (Theatre) |
Weekly Gross | Total Atten. | Prev. | Perf. | Total Capacity | Avg. Ticket Price | Atten. % |
| Bring It On (St. James) |
$472,810 | 7,927 | 0 | 8 | 1,334 | $59.65 | 74.3% |
| Chicago (Ambassador) |
$646,016 | 7,921 | 0 | 8 | 1,080 | $81.56 | 91.7% |
| Clybourne Park (Kerr) |
$396,645 | 5,243 | 0 | 8 | 951 | $75.65 | 68.9% |
| End…Rainbow (Belasco) |
$252,527 | 4,124 | 0 | 8 | 990 | $61.23 | 52.1% |
| Evita (Marquis) |
$737,920 | 10,002 | 0 | 8 | 1,612 | $73.78 | 77.6% |
| Ghost (Lunt-Fontanne) |
$581,473 | 7,925 | 0 | 8 | 1,505 | $73.37 | 65.8% |
| Gore Vidal’s The Best Man (Schoenfeld) |
$599,878 | 6,258 | 0 | 8 | 1,063 | $95.86 | 73.6% |
| Jersey Boys (August Wilson) |
$910,085 | 9,245 | 0 | 8 | 1,228 | $98.44 | 94.1% |
| Mamma Mia! (Winter Garden) |
$872,590 | 9,998 | 0 | 8 | 1,498 | $87.28 | 83.4% |
| Mary Poppins (New Amsterdam) |
$1,032,377 | 13,185 | 0 | 8 | 1,797 | $78.30 | 91.7% |
| Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth (Longacre) |
$580,122 | 3,977 | 0 | 6 | 1,077 | $145.87 | 61.5% |
| Newsies (Nederlander) |
$1,022,148 | 9,715 | 0 | 8 | 1,195 | $105.21 | 101.6% |
| Nice Work If You Can Get It (Imperial) |
$809,320 | 8,122 | 0 | 8 | 1,439 | $99.65 | 70.6% |
| Once (Jacobs) |
$1,060,427 | 8,511 | 0 | 8 | 1,058 | $124.59 | 100.6% |
| One Man, Two Guvnors (Music Box) |
$641,423 | 6,774 | 0 | 8 | 975 | $94.69 | 86.8% |
| Peter and the Starcatcher (Atkinson) |
$474,252 | 6,230 | 0 | 8 | 1,038 | $76.12 | 75.0% |
| Porgy and Bess (Rodgers) |
$495,426 | 5,736 | 0 | 8 | 1,335 | $86.37 | 53.7% |
| Rock of Ages (Hayes) |
$502,103 | 4,594 | 0 | 8 | 583 | $109.30 | 98.5% |
| Sister Act (Broadway) |
$818,454 | 11,122 | 0 | 8 | 1,755 | $73.59 | 79.2% |
| Spider-Man…Dark (Foxwoods) |
$1,691,184 | 14,334 | 0 | 8 | 1,930 | $117.98 | 92.8% |
| The Book of Mormon (O’Neill) |
$1,634,876 | 8,752 | 0 | 8 | 1,066 | $186.80 | 102.6% |
| The Lion King (Minskoff) |
$2,219,736 | 14,921 | 0 | 9 | 1,677 | $148.77 | 98.9% |
| The Phantom of the Opera (Majestic) |
$991,092 | 12,010 | 0 | 8 | 1,605 | $82.52 | 93.5% |
| War Horse (Beaumont) |
$506,211 | 6,072 | 0 | 8 | 1,069 | $83.37 | 71.0% |
| Wicked (Gershwin) |
$2,147,461 | 15,470 | 0 | 9 | 1,809 | $138.81 | 95.0% |
All data provided by The Broadway League.