Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 10/20/19- Page 2

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/21/19 at 5:57pm

SomeOtherMe said: "Although those numbers for "The Inheritance" aren't great, I can't imagine the show costs much to run. The set consistsalmost entirely of just a white platform. Does anyone have any idea of the running costs?"

I'd give it a rough estimate of $450k per week to run, which isn't cheap. 22 actors (incl. understudies), overtime (because it's over 3 hours), and the British actors probably need housing.

[ggersten]

Posted: 10/21/19 at 5:57pm

msmp said: "HasCursed Childhad a sub-$1mn week yet? Seems like it might be headed in that direction if it hasn't already happened. Not that that should mean it's in trouble per se, but I am curious."

Cursed Child dropped its gross potential to 1,012,378 - and had an average ticket price of $80.01 - sold every seat and grossed more than its gross potential.  But, the BWW database shows Cursed Child selling every seat every week in 2019. I don't understand what's going on with its numbers, but last January, the gross potential was 1,998,464, then in March, it dropped to 1,676,876, and since July, it seems to change every week. That's some serious dynamic pricing going on - but also lets the producers tell the world that they consistently exceed their gross potential - even as the actual grosses have declined. Last year, the week ending October 21 - the gross was 2,090,857, or roughly twice what it just reported.

 

[GreasedLightning]

Posted: 10/21/19 at 7:45pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "ACL2006 said: "LIGHTNING THIEF still did 8 shows. It's just to be assumed any tickets on opening night were comps. If opening night was sold out, then that inflates their capacity %."


For the purposes of Grosses (which run Mon-Sun), it played 7 perfs last week:
-Mon eve
-dark Tue
- Weds eve (opening, mostly comped)
- Thur eve
- Fri eve
- Sat x2
- Sun x2”

I still count 8 performances here... is it just me? 

To me, the “mostly comped” excuse for opening isn’t quite valid here because they did sell a limited # of tickets to opening. 

The BWW grosses chart also counts 8 performances total: 1 preview and 7 regular performances. Not sure where you’re getting 7 from. 
 

Updated On: 10/21/19 at 07:45 PM

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/21/19 at 7:54pm

GreasedLightning said: "I still count 8 performances here... is it just me?

To me, the “mostly comped” excuse for opening isn’t quite valid here because theydidsell a limited # of tickets to opening.

The BWW grosses chart also counts 8 performances total: 1 preview and 7 regular performances. Not sure where you’re getting 7 from."

I'm guessing who ever it was who said they only did seven performances didn't account for the fact that it's listed on the grosses page as 7 performances and 1 preview. They started differentiating between regular performances and previews when they switched to the updated format for the weekly grosses chart, so if you aren't paying attention it could look like they only did 7 performances.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 10/21/19 at 8:47pm

I’ve been to a few open nights with a friend and I’m always surprised at them not being sold out! Wouldn’t they want to fill the house? Granted these were for non-profits

[Dublin2]

Posted: 10/21/19 at 9:21pm

Do you think they really could fill the entire theater for that rubbish? Even giving away free tickets? 

[haterobics]

Posted: 10/21/19 at 9:29pm

Still surprising that Derren Brown is doing poorly, since the show was so top notch and thought provoking, but I guess you have to get the people into the show before they can find that out? Not enough British ex pats to spread the word?

[ACL2006]

Posted: 10/21/19 at 10:54pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Actually just realized: the two-weekday-matinee schedule hasn't even begun yet forLightning Thief!It kicks in starting in November, and the charts look abysmal for many of the matinees. There are some performances where not a single seat has been sold in the center of the Mezz."

 

They actually announced the schedule change during previews. Said it was to accommodate the demand for school groups. Doesn't look like it paid off. At least there's another Broadway show to see for a Thursday matinee(joining Moulin Rouge & Phantom).

 

[Lot666]

Posted: 10/22/19 at 8:44am

Wick3 said: "I'm also curious of the audience demographics for The Inheritance. Among my friends here in NYC, only my gay friends have seen the play. The play really needs great word of mouth in the straight community in order for it to do well in the box office after it opens."

My perception of the marketing for The Inheritance is abysmal. If not for these boards, I would never have bought tickets to this show. As a person with no prior knowledge of the piece, the title tells me nothing and the two to three daily "sponsored" appearances in my Facebook newsfeed of brief, random montage clips announcing only that the play is "important" accomplish nothing. I've yet to see any advertising for The Inheritance that gave me any real indication of the plot.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/22/19 at 9:15am

[zainmax]

Posted: 10/22/19 at 12:39pm

ggersten said: "msmp said: "HasCursed Childhad a sub-$1mn week yet? Seems like it might be headed in that direction if it hasn't already happened. Not that that should mean it's in trouble per se, but I am curious."

Cursed Child dropped its gross potential to 1,012,378 - and had an average ticket price of $80.01 - sold every seat and grossed more than its gross potential. But, the BWW database shows Cursed Child selling every seat every week in 2019. I don't understand what's going on with its numbers, but last January, the gross potential was 1,998,464, then in March, it dropped to 1,676,876, and since July, it seems to change every week. That's some serious dynamic pricing going on - but also lets the producers tell the world that they consistently exceed their gross potential - even as the actual grosses have declined. Last year, the week ending October 21 - the gross was 2,090,857, or roughly twice what it just reported.

"

See https://www.forbes.com/sites/marchershberg/2019/09/25/harry-potters-broadway-box-office-tactic-cloaks-drop-in-demand/