Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 10/6/19

[Rob]

Click below to access all the Broadway grosses from all the shows for the week ending 10/6/2019 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: FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME (11.6%), FROZEN (10.2%), DERREN BROWN: SECRET (9.7%), THE ROSE TATTOO (6.8%), THE INHERITANCE (6.1%), THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (5%), MEAN GIRLS (3.9%), CHICAGO (3.6%), LINDA VISTA (3%), WAITRESS (2.8%), BEETLEJUICE (2.6%), BETRAYAL (2.2%), DEAR EVAN HANSEN (1.9%), SLAVE PLAY (1.5%), ALADDIN (1.2%), TOOTSIE (1.1%), BEAUTIFUL (0.1%),

Down for the week by attendance was: THE GREAT SOCIETY (-6.4%), THE LIGHTNING THIEF (-6.1%), WICKED (-3.8%), OKLAHOMA! (-2.8%), THE HEIGHT OF THE STORM (-1.9%), THE BOOK OF MORMON (-1.8%), THE LION KING (-1.3%), THE SOUND INSIDE (-1.2%), AIN'T TOO PROUD (-0.7%), COME FROM AWAY (-0.4%), HADESTOWN (-0.3%), HAMILTON (-0.1%), MOULIN ROUGE! (-0.1%), TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (-0.1%),

Click Here to Visit the BroadwayWorld Grosses...

Sponsored By: The Book of Mormon - The New York Times calls The Book of Mormon "the best musical of this century." The Washington Post says, "It is the kind of evening that restores your faith in musicals." And Entertainment Weekly says, "Grade A: the funniest musical of all time." Jimmy Fallon of The Tonight Show calls it "Genius. Brilliant. Phenomenal." The Book of Mormon, the nine-time Tony Award®-winning Best Musical.

[woeisme3]

Truly sad numbers for The Great Society, Linda Vista, and The Lightning Thief.

[ModernMillie3]

Man, just close The Lightning Thief already, playing to empty houses night after night must really suck. 

[qolbinau]

The Inheritance looks like a flop, sadly. Wicked also is not having its best days anymore - I do hope we get some exciting casting choices in the future when they need to resort to stunt or star casting in a few years. 

[ACL2006]

Was at The Lightning Thief on Saturday night. Seemed like they gave rush tickets to anyone that asked at the box office($42). Orchestra section looked about 75% full. I looked up at the mezzanine during intermission and the sides seemed empty. On a Saturday night. There just isn't a large enough audience for this show that has done very little advertising. Can't imagine them changing their schedule next month will help sales(they're eliminating Mon/Tue evenings and adding Wed/Thu matinees). I still think they won't finish out their 16-week run.

[Kalimba]

Wonder if Lightning Thief will be an opening night flop.

[Mike Barrett]

qolbinau said: "The Inheritance looks like a flop, sadly. Wicked also is not having its best days anymore - I do hope we get some exciting casting choices in the future when they need to resort to stunt or star casting in a few years."

Didn’t The Inheritance start only a week or two ago? It’s too early to call it a flop lol. 2 part original play with no star is going to be an incredibly difficult sell however so I don’t doubt this could end up being the case, but wait for the reviews. If any show could benefit from reviews it’s the (potential) best show that’s offered this season, so I think it will garner attention. Also they haven’t even done Part 2 yet if I recall that starts this week, but I haven’t been following so I’m unaware. Either way, bit too early. 

[bdn223]

qolbinau said: "The Inheritance looks like a flop, sadly. Wicked also is not having its best days anymore - I do hope we get some exciting casting choices in the future when they need to resort to stunt or star casting in a few years."

Yes clearly its going to pack up and close making only a pitiful $1.3M in a week, which is unfortunately more money than show made in its first  two years of its run..... Being $500K over your weekly nut clearly doesn't cut it any more and they might as well post a January closing. 

In reality Wicked has clearly perfected its pricing where even when its only selling 80% of its capacity its making $1.3M, a number all shows would kill to have. 

[little_sally]

I think The Inheritance will do just fine after the reviews come out but it has an uphill battle. Angels in America's title had cache, and it had two stars in the cast and still couldn't sell out. Should be interesting how The Inheritance fares in the long run.

It's too bad that all of the new plays are struggling.

[Call_me_jorge]

qolbinau said: "The Inheritance looks like a flop, sadly. Wicked also is not having its best days anymore - I do hope we get some exciting casting choices in the future when they need to resort to stunt or star casting in a few years."

I do wonder if Alexandra Billings is somewhat of a stunt casting.

[Sauja]

I agree that The Inheritance is a super tough sell, and opinions are pretty sharply divided on it. Will be curious how reviews are and whether they're spike attendance. Will confess that I really hope so. I adore the play. But truly, it's a sad state that of the 9 new plays on Broadway, only Mockingbird and Harry Potter are earning over 50% capacity. 

[bdn223]

Call_me_jorge said: "qolbinau said: "The Inheritance looks like a flop, sadly. Wicked also is not having its best days anymore - I do hope we get some exciting casting choices in the future when they need to resort to stunt or star casting in a few years."

I do wonder if Alexandra Billings is somewhat of a stunt casting."

Wicked did do this type of "stunt" casting early in its run with Ben Vereen and David Garrison as the Wizard and Michele Lee, Miriam Margolyes, Carol Kane, and Rue McClanahan as Madame Morrible. Both roles are extremely easy to stunt cast with aging baby boomer actors in need of a pay check. They also stunt casted Fiyero for a while with Joey McIntyre.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Wonder if Great Society will post an early closing notice? It's got to be an expensive play to run with a cast of that size.

I'm not going to say anything about The Inheritance yet, since it's only in its second week and it only played 5 previews of part 1. Reviews (and possibly the Pulitzer Prize going into the Tonys) will help, but as others have said, this could be a tough slog for its producers. I personally wouldn't want to see Part 1 so early and then wait a few weeks to see Part 2.

Stop that WICKED talk. Remember, the movie is also (allegedly) coming out in about 2 years, which could help sales in the long-term. Alexandra Billings might generate some press, but she doesn't bring anything substantial to the box office.

[JBroadway]

bdn223 said: "David Garrison as the Wizard " 

 

David Garrison counts as stunt-casting? He certainly isn't helping The Great Society's ticket sales. 

(I'm being nit-picky, but I agree with your overall point! :) ) 

[bdn223]

JBroadway said: "bdn223 said: "David Garrison as the Wizard "



David Garrison counts as stunt-casting? He certainly isn't helping The Great Society's ticket sales.

(I'm being nit-picky, but I agree with your overall point! :) )"

Being in a role 10 years after the peak of your career and 20 years after the peak of your career probably means something for ticket sales.

[ACL2006]

Kalimba said: "Wonder if Lightning Thief will be an opening night flop."

 

Certainly checks off all the boxes. It's been a while since we've had a show close after opening. Bit considering it's limited run, the producers may just suck up the operating costs.

[little_sally]

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Wonder ifGreat Societywill post an early closing notice? It's got to be an expensive play to run with a cast of that size.

I figure it'll be okay since it's non-profit?

 

[JSquared2]

bdn223 said: Wicked did do this type of "stunt" casting early in its run with Ben Vereen and David Garrison as the Wizard and Michele Lee,Miriam Margolyes, Carol Kane, and Rue McClanahan as Madame Morrible. Both roles are extremely easy to stunt cast with aging baby boomer actors in need of a pay check. They also stunt casted Fiyero for a while with Joey McIntyre."

I wouldn't consider any of those people "stunt casting".  All have/had solid theatre backgrounds (including Joey McIntyre).  And Miriam Margolyes --- stunt casting -- seriously???

[SouthernCakes]

I think The Lightning Thief is doing better than we think. It’s basically just a long “tour” stop, so I don’t think the cast is on a production contract, and it can’t be an expensive show to run, etc. It isn’t trying to be on the same level as Hadestown.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

little_sally said: "ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Wonder ifGreat Societywill post an early closing notice? It's got to be an expensive play to run with a cast of that size.
I figure it'll be okay since it's non-profit?"

It's a commercial production. They rented out the Beaumont. (See IBDB and the initial NYTimes announcement for a list of the producers.)

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

SouthernCakes said: "I think The Lightning Thief is doing better than we think. It’s basically just a long “tour” stop, so I don’t think the cast is on a production contract, and it can’t be an expensive show to run, etc. It isn’t trying to be on the same level as Hadestown."


Doesn't work like that. The actors are absolutely on a Production Contract, as is the case with every Broadway show. At minimum, I would guess the operating cost is $400k per week; if that's the case, it's burning money. No show can survive on 25% of its gross potential and an average ticket price of $53.

The production is also capitalized (budgeted) separately from the tour. While some assets may have been re-used, and while profits from the tour could offset Broadway losses and vice-versa, they're not one and the same. (We also don't know if the tour officially recouped.)

I will never quite understand why this moved to Broadway so quickly with such a limited window of advance notice.

[Jarethan]

bdn223 said: "qolbinau said: "The Inheritance looks like a flop, sadly. Wicked also is not having its best days anymore - I do hope we get some exciting casting choices in the future when they need to resort to stunt or star casting in a few years."

Yes clearly its going to pack up and close making only a pitiful$1.3M in a week, which is unfortunately more money thanshow made in its firsttwo years of its run..... Being $500K over your weekly nut clearly doesn't cut it any more and they might as well post a January closing.

In reality Wicked has clearly perfected its pricing where even when its only selling 80% of its capacity its making $1.3M, a number all shows would kill to have."

I also felt that that was a premature comment.  Wicked is at the point where it is going to do mega business many weeks and less impressive on others, but $1.3 ain’t exactly bad  I guess we can debate whether  Qolbinau is on to something when Wicked hits its 10,000th performance, which I believe is inevitable.

[SouthernCakes]

I’m not so sure they are? I mean, you can in a Roundabout show and not be on a production contract.

They didn’t hold any auditions, so the Broadway runs seem to be just worked into their initial contracts.

[Jarethan]

JSquared2 said: "bdn223 said:Wicked did do this type of "stunt" casting early in its run with Ben Vereen and David Garrison as the Wizard and Michele Lee,Miriam Margolyes, Carol Kane, and Rue McClanahan as Madame Morrible. Both roles are extremely easy to stunt cast with aging baby boomer actors in need of a pay check. They also stunt casted Fiyero for a while with Joey McIntyre."

I wouldn't consider any of those people "stunt casting". All have/had solid theatre backgrounds (including Joey McIntyre). And Miriam Margolyes --- stunt casting -- seriously???"

Stunt casting is usually done to increase ticket sales.  Did any of these people sell tickets?  I don’t think so.  David Garrison was cast as someone the producers thought would be good in the role, not to sell tickets.  I like Miriam M, but I wouldn’t have even considered paying to see her play Madame Morrible.  I probably would have been happy if she was in it one of the times I saw it.

[Jarethan]

bdn223 said: "JBroadway said: "bdn223 said: "David Garrison as the Wizard "



David Garrison counts as stunt-casting? He certainly isn't helping The Great Society's ticket sales.

(I'm being nit-picky, but I agree with your overall point! :) )"

Being in a role 10 years after the peak of your career and 20 years after the peak of your career probably means something for ticket sales."

Not to be disrespectful, but when did David Garrison ever sell tickets?