Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 7/29/18

[Rob]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:06pm

Click below to access all the Broadway grosses from all the shows for the week ending 7/29/2018 in BroadwayWorld's grosses section.

Also, you will find information on each show's historical grosses, cumulative grosses and other statistics on how each show stacked up this week and in the past.

Click Here to Visit the Broadway Grosses...

Up for the week by attendance was: WAITRESS (10.0%), BEAUTIFUL (8.4%), HEAD OVER HEELS (7.8%), THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG (5.1%), SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS (4.9%), A BRONX TALE THE MUSICAL (3.9%), SUMMER (2.8%), KINKY BOOTS (2.6%), THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (2.3%), CHICAGO (1.6%), ALADDIN (1.6%), SCHOOL OF ROCK (1.1%), ANASTASIA (1.0%), HELLO, DOLLY! (0.5%), THE BOOK OF MORMON (0.4%), THE LION KING (0.4%), FROZEN (0.2%), SPRINGSTEEN ON BROADWAY (0.1%), THE BOYS IN THE BAND (0.1%),

Down for the week by attendance was: CAROUSEL (-4.2%), ONCE ON THIS ISLAND (-3.3%), PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL (-2.1%), MY FAIR LADY (-1.4%), STRAIGHT WHITE MEN (-0.9%), WICKED (-0.4%), DEAR EVAN HANSEN (-0.1%),

Click Here to Visit the BroadwayWorld Grosses...

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:09pm

Word of mouth finally catching up to CAROUSEL.

Wow - PRETTY WOMAN breaks 1 million with 7 performances. 

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:09pm

75% plus gross potential is pretty good for "Chicago."

[10086sunset]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:11pm

Pretty Woman is really off to a strong start. Good for them.

[TheSassySam]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:11pm

I'm surprised by Pretty Woman's numbers. Did they change a lot of things from the Chicago production? Because what I saw left me underwhelmed.

[dearalanaaaa]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:14pm

Gettin the band has a literally $40 average ticket? That's a rush ticket, how awful! Head over Heels and that are going to disappear very soon. Probably Labor or Thanksgiving at the latest

[willrolandsframes]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:16pm

Question:

I'm not much of an economist so someone who's good at analyzing profit, please answer this. Is it a bit of a problem that 19 of the 32 shows currently on Broadway are grossing over $1,000,000? In fact, really only 6 or 7 shows are in what you might describe as a "negative financial situation". How is this not a problem? We've already seen how the average theatregoer is more willing to spend money on a commercialized product like Mean Girls instead of something original. With that in mind, and also considering how Broadway continues to net more profit year after year, what needs to change? At this rate, no wonder we're going to have barely any new shows next season. If I'm the owner of a theatre, why would I take a chance by evicting my well-established, money-making show in favor of something that may or may not succeed?

What needs to change to make original shows more commercially viable to producers and theatre owners? Are the facts I listed above non-issues?

[Kitsune]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:18pm

TheSassySam said: "I'm surprised by Pretty Woman's numbers. Did they change a lot of things from the Chicago production? Because what I saw left me underwhelmed."

Didn't see the Chicago production and can't speak to that, but I keep wondering if Pretty Woman will be this season's Mean Girls (aka critic-proof). When I went the audience was full of middle-aged women who were really excited to see an old favorite on stage.

I won't claim that Pretty Woman is high art (and I'm sure critics won't be kind about it), but it has a delightful cast. I thought it was a fun night out.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:20pm

Ouch. Those figures for Carousel, GTBBT, and HOH. I’m curious how much longer Kinky Boots continues if its box office doesn’t improve.

Glad to see Spongebob doing well (if not great) even though it will never recoup before it closes.

I think Pretty Women is similar to Mean Girls in that it attracts a big demographic so it will continue to do well despite mixed critical response.

[MannPhan24601]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:21pm

Glad to see another slight bump for Kinky .Heard there's good word of mouth going around on David Cook's return .Let's hope that the next Charlie will be "big " as rumored so that beautiful show won't have to close !

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:25pm

 

Updated On: 7/30/18 at 03:25 PM

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:32pm

willrolandsframes said: "Question:

I'm not much of an economist so someone who's good at analyzing profit, please answer this. Is it a bit of a problem that 19 of the 32 shows currently on Broadway are grossing over $1,000,000? In fact, really only 6 or 7 shows are in what you might describe as a "negative financial situation". How is this not a problem? 

How does the number of shows that are grossing over $1 million relate to your question, or why is the number of shows that are grossing  million or more a problem? As I’ve said here countless times, grosses tell you very little about how a show is doing. I'm not being snarky, I want to get a better understanding of what you want to know  

 

[Sauja]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:39pm

I understand the argument that Pretty Woman might be critic proof and therefore this season's Mean Girls, but while MG is flawed, Pretty Woman makes it look like high art. We're off to a ROUGH start with musical this season when I can say Head Over Heels is my favorite so far, and my review of that is, "Meh."

[dramamama611]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:42pm

willrolandsframes said: "Question:

I'm not much of an economist so someone who's good at analyzing profit, please answer this. Is it a bit of a problem that 19 of the 32 shows currently on Broadway are grossing over $1,000,000? In fact, really only 6 or 7 shows are in what you might describe as a "negative financial situation". How is this not a problem? We've already seen how the average theatregoer is more willing to spend money on a commercialized product like Mean Girls instead of something original. With that in mind, and also considering how Broadway continues to net more profit year after year, what needs to change? At this rate, no wonder we're going to have barely any new shows next season. If I'm the owner of a theatre, why would I take a chance by evicting my well-established, money-making show in favor of something that may or may not succeed?

What needs to change to make original shows more commercially viable to producers and theatre owners? Are the facts I listed above non-issues?"

What could be a problem about shows grossing more than a million dollars?

What kind of problem - except for those involved is present  to those you consider in a "negative" situation.  If it can't afford to stay open, it will close.   It happens all the time.  More shows than not are unsuccessful.  It the business part of show business.

Theaters have contracts with shows, so why would they even consider kicking them out?   It would be foolish of them to do so.   (And illegal, which is why you sometimes hear about a buy-out.)

 

Dolly and Beauty and the Beast are among the only shows I can think of that closed even though they were still successfully making money.  I'm sure there are others....but not many.

 

I'm not sure what you think the actual "problem" is.   There aren't enough new shows?  This time of year there are seldom many - especially musicals.  Come March and April, there will be more, just like every spring.

[Sauja]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:46pm

Carousel, Kinky Boots, and Summer are all pulling in less (in terms of percentage of gross and in some cases less actual gross) than shows that already announced closing like SpongeBob, Bronx Tale, and School of Rock. All three seem in danger, if not as much as Head Over Heels or Gettin the Band Back Together. I'm curious to see how this Spring shapes up because a month or two back, I didn't think there would be many available theaters, and now...I suspect I might have been wrong.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:47pm

RE: KINKY BOOTS, even if a big name is coming in for the Fall, they would still need a name for the winter. They could bring this name in and still close in mid-January. I still hope that when it is about to close, that Porter and Sands return for the final weeks.

[After Eight]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:48pm

Interesting to see declines in both attendance and gross for that appalling, inept Straight White Men, despite the critics' wholly-predictable plaudits for its "subversion."

I feel very sorry for the poor audiences who have to suffer through the thing. I just hope they arrive late enough to avoid the affliction of the pre-show "music."

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:51pm

ACL2006 said: "RE: KINKY BOOTS, even if a big name is coming in for the Fall, they would still need a name for the winter. They could bring this name in and still close in mid-January. I still hope that when it is about to close, that Porter and Sands return for the final weeks."

If they do close in January, Sands won't be able to come back, since he's in To Kill a Mockingbird

[roadmixer]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:53pm

dramamama611 said: 


Theaters have contracts with shows, so why would they even consider kicking them out? It would be foolish of them to do so. (And illegal, which is why you sometimes hear about a buy-out.)

Mama... typically contracts between theatre owners and productions include something known in the biz as a "stop clause" which stipulates that if a show isn't making enough money for X amount of time, the theatre can nullify the deal. This has happened and is typical in a situation where a theatre owner can book a new (presumably more successful show) if they kick the current tenant to the curb.

 

 

[haterobics]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 3:58pm

TheSassySam said: "I'm surprised by Pretty Woman's numbers. Did they change a lot of things from the Chicago production? Because what I saw left me underwhelmed."

Well, it's early enough yet to fill the theater with people who want to see the property, without any knowledge if the quality/adaptation is any good. Really have to wait to see if this holds...

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 4:01pm

ACL2006 said: "RE: KINKY BOOTS, even if a big name is coming in for the Fall, they would still need a name for the winter. They could bring this name in and still close in mid-January. I still hope that when it is about to close, that Porter and Sands return for the final weeks."

*If* MOULIN is indeed going to the Hirschfeld in the 2019-2020 season, I wonder if the Roth family will choose to bleed a little money to keep KINKY going through it's 6th anniversary in April? (Though if they did that, then they might as well keep it going through the summer –– and if it runs through the end of next summer, it would outrun Hairspray)

If KINKY closes this January, that could be a year without a tenant in the theatre, unless there's a play or limited engagement that could go to the Hirschfeld. (This is all based on the un-confirmed Moulin rumor)

[barcelona20]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 4:02pm

Come From Away continues to completely astonish me.

[willrolandsframes]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 4:15pm

RaisedOnMusicals said: "willrolandsframes said: "Question:

I'm not much of an economist so someone who's good at analyzing profit, please answer this. Is it a bit of a problem that 19 of the 32 shows currently on Broadway are grossing over $1,000,000? In fact, really only 6 or 7 shows are in what you might describe as a "negative financial situation". How is this not a problem?

How does the number of shows that are grossing over $1 million relate to your question, or why is the number of shows that are grossing million or more a problem? As I’ve said here countless times, grosses tell you very little about how a show is doing. I'm not being snarky, I want to get a better understanding of what you want to know

"

Literally just two to three years ago, only about 10 shows were hitting the million mark. Thus, this caused a higher turnover in shows, allowing theatregoers more opportunities to see new productions. However, if all of these open-ended shows are continuing to succeed financially, then how are we going to get a wider variety of new shows? It feels like normally by this time of year, we tend to at least have a grasp of what our spring season might look like. But right now, all of these questionable transfer shows (Moulin Rouge, Hadestown, Beetlejuice, etc.) can't come if they don't have a theatre. And right now, none of the 19 shows that are open-ended are anywhere near closing, and really only 3-5 of the open-ended shows that are under the million mark have any remote chance of closing by the end of the year.

My point is that I'm concerned about the lack of new productions coming to Broadway, and I feel like the only way to increase this number is to increase the turnover among current shows, which cannot really happen if 19 of 32 shows are grossing 7 figures.

But, again, perhaps this is a non-issue. I'm just a fan of seeing more fresh and new content on the Great White Way, and I don't know when we're really going to see a year filled with that again.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 4:26pm

willrolandsframes said: "what needs to change?"

 

We need to stop thinking of Broadway as the be-all-end-all place to see theatre. If you look to the Off-Broadway non-profits, you'll find a massive variety of shows that are frequently better than what's playing on Broadway. And they have built-in, monthly turnover rates! 

[haterobics]

Posted: 7/30/18 at 4:26pm

willrolandsframes said: "Literally just two to three years ago, only about 10 shows were hitting the million mark. Thus, this caused a higher turnover in shows, allowing theatregoers more opportunities to see new productions. "

I don't think more shows are selling more tickets, they are just shifting money from the secondary market onto the primary market through premium tickets and such.

There still seems to be a pretty healthy turnover, either way. The hits just make a lot more, and the flops die even faster.