Broadway held steady as it continued through the holiday season, with a total gross of $30,723,247 for the 26 productions up a small 4% from the previous week, and attendance of 227,099 up about the same percentage.
Year over year, though, the news isn’t quite so cheery. The $30.7M weekly figure is about 17% lower than the figure from this week last year ($37,217,001) and the total attendance figure is off about 20% from last year’s 283,548. The 26-show roster is skinnier too: Last year had 35 shows running at this time.
Individually, this year’s productions are, overall, doing well, with 18 of the 26 shows filling 90% or more of their seats during the week ending Dec. 10: & Juliet; Aladdin; Appropriate; Back to the Future; Gutenberg! The Musical!; Hadestown; Hamilton (101%); Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; I Need That; Merrily We Roll Along (100%); MJ; Moulin Rouge! (100%); Shucked; Six; Sweeney Todd; The Book of Mormon; The Lion King; Wicked (100%).
Only three shows were at the 75% capacity mark or below: Harmony, Purlie Victorious and Spamalot.
Recent arrivals How To Dance In Ohio and Appropriate posted good numbers, particularly Second Stage’s Appropriate, the new play starring Sarah Paulson. The play, written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkin, was near sell-out, with 98% of seats filled at non-prof Second Stage’s Hayes Theatre and a gross of $529,809. Opening night is Dec. 18.
How To Dance In Ohio, the new musical featuring a young cast of performers with autism, grossed $308,990 during its opening week, a $45,888 slip from the previous week no doubt largely attributable to press seats and other comps. Attendance was at 87% of capacity at the Belasco.
Season to date, Broadway has grossed $829,949,606, about the same as last year at this time, with total attendance at 6,712,729 also even with last season.
All figures courtesy of The Broadway League. For complete box office listings, visit the League’s website.