The Broadway box office saw a significant spike in sales last week, with a total gross of $37,095,505 for the week leading up to the Easter holiday. This marks a 30% increase over the previous week and an 8% jump over the same time last year. Total attendance for the week ending March 31 was 271,802, representing an 18% boost over the previous week. More than 96% of all seats were occupied, with an average ticket price of $136.48.
Several productions stood out in terms of box office performance. The Who’s Tommy came close to hitting the $1 million mark, while The Outsiders, The Wiz, Suffs, Hell’s Kitchen, and The Great Gatsby all achieved sell-out performances at their respective venues. These recent arrivals contributed to the overall success of the week, with audiences flocking to theaters to catch these shows.
Among the notable entries for the week were Appropriate, starring Sarah Paulson and Corey Stoll, which began its commercial transfer at the Belasco and grossed $777,541 with attendance at 95%. The Who’s Tommy opened to strong reviews at the Nederlander, bringing in $956,550 with attendance at 98%. The Outsiders sold out six previews at the Jacobs, grossing $701,781, and Lempicka continued its pre-opening low-price strategy, filling 96% of seats at the Longacre and grossing $416,616 for seven previews at an average ticket price of $59.
Several productions began previews during the week, including The Wiz at the Marquis, which grossed $941,425 and sold out all four previews. Suffs started previews at the Music Box, with standing room only for six previews and a gross of $460,623. Hell’s Kitchen began previews at the Shubert, selling out three previews and grossing $624,961. The Heart of Rock and Roll kicked off previews at the James Earl Jones, filling 91% of seats for two shows and grossing $139,145. The Great Gatsby also began previews at the Broadway, selling out its two performances for a gross of $433,640. These shows are set to officially open in the coming weeks and are already generating buzz among theatergoers.
Despite some shows nearing their closing dates, such as Spamalot at the St. James, which was at 97% of capacity and grossed $1,122,786, Broadway continues to see strong sales overall. Long-running staples like Wicked and The Lion King had impressive nine-performance weeks, with Wicked bringing in $2,910,585 and The Lion King topping the roster at $3,178,613. Aladdin also performed well, even with a heavily comped 10th-anniversary performance, taking in $1,810,211. Chicago broke another house record at the Ambassador, grossing $1,104,240. These consistent performers, along with the influx of new and successful productions, contribute to the overall success of Broadway.
The Broadway box office saw a significant increase in sales last week, with a number of productions achieving sell-out performances and strong attendance numbers. The variety of shows, both new and long-running, continue to attract audiences to the theater and contribute to the overall success of Broadway as a cultural hotspot for entertainment.