The Great White Way had another successful week with an overall increase of about $2 million (six percent) in gross ticket sales through the week ending April 15.

According to figures provided by The Broadway League, Broadway box offices took in $29.7 million with an increase in earnings among 29 of the 39 productions — family-oriented and recently opened shows had the greatest gains and top earnings for the week.

With many schools on spring break and families likely flocking to New York City to enjoy the warm weather, it is not surprising that family favorites were among the top-earning shows. “Wicked” ($2.2 million) and “The Lion King” ($2 million) took in over $2 million for the second week in a row. Despite having the greatest loss ($174,204), “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” ($1.8 million) was still a top grossing production, according to figures on Playbill.com.

Several newly opened shows and Broadway newcomers made significant gains last week. “Evita” ($1.5 million), up 18.4 percent, had the greatest gain in ticket sales. “Gore Vidal’s The Best Man” ($836,504) had an increase of 27.9 percent and “Nice Work If You Can Get It” (891,064) also had a successful week with sales up 21 percent. “One Man, Two Guvnors” ($491,442) played to nearly a full house and it certainly was reflected in their ticket sales — the show had the second greatest increase in sales taking in $228,828 more than the previous week, up 87 percent. The production officially opens on April 18, according to The Broadway League.

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Several productions opened on Broadway through the week ending April 8 and all of them had an increase in sales through last week. “The Lyons” increased their ticket sales dramatically taking in $127,852, nearly triple the sales earned the previous week ($48,615). “The Columnist” took in $247,738, with sales up 55 percent; “Leap of Faith” ($288,494) increased sales by 51 percent and “A Streetcar Named Desire” had only a slight increase taking in $328,001 in ticket sales, up six percent.

Two Broadway shows began their official runs last week. “Magic/Bird” ($191,296) opened on April 11 with sales up 74.4 percent and “Peter and the Starcatcher” opened April 15 with earnings of $310,236, up 13.3 percent.

A couple of the Great White Way’s productions experienced milestones last week. According to Broadway.com, “The Book of Mormon” ($1.6 million), once again among the top grossing shows, broke the house record at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre for the second week in a row and 32nd time overall. Disney production “Newsies” finally broke the $1 million mark with sales up 6.3 percent through the week ending April 15. Broadway.com reported that due to increased demand the show has been selling several standing room tickets.

Sister Act” has been on a consistent climb with sales up week after week. Raven-Symone joined the cast on March 27 and it seems to have helped ticket sales, as the production gets closer to the $1 million mark with gross ticket sales of $951,357 through last week, up 10.5 percent.

The addition of new cast members has not seemed to have the same effect on “Seminar.” Actors Jeff Goldblum and Justin Long joined the comedy on April 3, as TicketNews recently reported; however sales through April 15 ($192,357) increased by only 7.5 percent with attendance down 4.8 percent, according to Playbill.com.

Broadway Gross Ticket Sales
Week Ending April 15, 2012

Production
(Theatre)
Weekly Gross Total Atten. Prev. Perf. Total Capacity Avg. Ticket Price Atten. %
A Streetcar…Desire
(Broadhurst)
$328,001 6,384 8 0 1,168 $51.38 68.3%
Anything Goes
(Sondheim)
$673,794 7,649 0 8 1,026 $88.09 93.2%
Chicago
(Ambassador)
$638,414 7,055 0 8 1,080 $90.49 81.7%
Clybourne Park
(Kerr)
$263,105 6,024 8 0 951 $43.68 79.2%
Death of a Salesman
(Barrymore)
$856,960 7,227 0 7 1,036 $118.58 99.7%
Don’t Dress For Dinner
(American Airlines)
$180,916 3,840 8 0 728 $47.11 65.9%
End…Rainbow
(Belasco)
$396,056 5,110 0 8 989 $77.51 64.6%
Evita
(Marquis)
$1,505,759 12,541 0 8 1,612 $120.07 97.2%
Ghost
(Lunt-Fontanne)
$633,157 9,315 7 0 1,448 $67.97 91.9%
Godspell
(Circle in Square)
$364,992 4,769 0 8 735 $76.53 81.1%
Gore Vidal’s The Best Man
(Schoenfeld)
$836,504 8,160 0 8 1,063 $102.51 96.0%
How to Succeed…
(Hirschfeld)
$736,958 8,737 0 7 1,424 $84.35 87.7%
Jersey Boys
(August Wilson)
$1,064,002 9,703 0 8 1,228 $109.66 98.8%
Jesus Christ Superstar
(Simon)
$836,258 9,442 0 8 1,424 $88.57 82.9%
Leap of Faith
(St. James)
$288,494 8,197 7 0 1,367 $35.20 85.7%
Magic/Bird
(Longacre)
$191,296 5,616 2 6 1,077 $34.06 65.2%
Mamma Mia!
(Winter Garden)
$1,005,002 11,519 0 8 1,498 $87.25 96.1%
Mary Poppins
(New Amsterdam)
$1,278,365 13,743 0 8 1,797 $93.02 95.6%
Memphis
(Shubert)
$741,003 10,357 0 8 1,470 $71.55 88.1%
Newsies
(Nederlander)
$1,024,517 9,658 0 8 1,195 $106.08 101.0%
Nice Work If You Can Get It
(Imperial)
$891,064 9,332 7 0 1,439 $95.48 92.6%
Once
(Jacobs)
$715,396 8,087 0 8 1,058 $88.46 95.5%
One Man, Two Guvnors
(Music Box)
$491,442 7,706 8 0 975 $63.77 98.8%
Other Desert Cities
(Booth)
$276,015 3,464 0 8 761 $79.68 56.9%
Peter and the Starcatcher
(Atkinson)
$310,236 7,603 7 1 1,064 $40.80 89.3%
Porgy and Bess
(Rodgers)
$615,553 6,671 0 8 1,335 $92.27 62.5%
Priscilla…Desert
(Palace)
$641,453 8,299 0 8 1,689 $77.29 61.4%
Rock of Ages
(Hayes)
$463,537 4,479 0 8 583 $103.49 96.0%
Seminar
(Golden)
$192,234 3,683 0 8 804 $52.19 57.3%
Sister Act
(Broadway)
$951,357 11,999 0 8 1,755 $79.29 85.5%
Spider-Man…Dark
(Foxwoods)
$1,836,418 14,121 0 8 1,930 $130.05 91.5%
The Book of Mormon
(O’Neill)
$1,603,396 8,752 0 8 1,066 $183.20 102.6%
The Columnist
(Friedman)
$247,738 4,474 8 0 650 $55.37 86.0%
The Lion King
(Minskoff)
$2,026,374 13,419 0 8 1,677 $151.01 100.0%
The Lyons
(Cort)
$127,852 6,690 8 0 1,079 $19.11 77.5%
The Phantom of the Opera
(Majestic)
$1,134,951 12,294 0 8 1,605 $92.32 95.7%
Venus in Fur
(Lyceum)
$280,779 3,587 0 8 906 $78.28 49.5%
War Horse
(Beaumont)
$902,828 8,186 0 8 1,069 $110.29 95.7%
Wicked
(Gershwin)
$2,153,975 14,472 0 8 1,809 $148.84 100.0%

All date provided by The Broadway League.

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