The Presidents Day Weekend brought a Christmas-like gift to Broadway, with grosses for 23 productions soaring by a whopping 27% compared to the previous week. The total earnings reached an impressive $26,946,864, showcasing a significant increase in revenue. More than 94% of available seats were filled during this period, with total attendance reaching 201,227, representing a modest 7% increase from the previous week.
One of the key factors contributing to the substantial jump in revenue was the average ticket price during this period, which stood at $133.91. This amount was $20 higher than the previous week, indicating a willingness among theatergoers to pay more for tickets. Twenty out of the 23 productions managed to fill at least 90% of their seats, demonstrating the strong demand for Broadway shows during the holiday weekend.
Among the recent arrivals, The Notebook musical at the Schoenfeld theater stood out with its exceptional performance. The musical, based on the Nicholas Sparks bestseller, played to standing-room-only crowds during previews and grossed an impressive $1,013,563 for just seven shows. With its official opening night set for March 14, The Notebook is poised to become a major success on Broadway.
While the majority of productions achieved high seat occupancy rates, three shows fell below the 90% capacity mark. A Beautiful Noise, Days of Wine and Roses, and Spamalot struggled to attract audiences, with seat occupancy rates ranging from 54% to 87%. As these productions face challenges in filling seats, it will be interesting to see how they perform in the coming weeks.
Sweeney Todd witnessed a significant increase in revenue during its first week with permanent replacements Aaron Tveit and Sutton Foster. The show grossed $1,479,716, reflecting a positive response to the new cast members. However, there are uncertainties about the future of the revival once Tveit and Foster leave the production. On the other hand, Appropriate, starring Sarah Paulson and Corey Stoll, faced challenges due to Covid-related cancellations, grossing $568,150 for the week but managing to fill all seats for the performances that took place.
Despite some ups and downs among individual productions, Broadway as a whole continues to thrive. Long-running shows like Chicago and The Lion King posted impressive earnings, with the latter grossing $2,004,314 during the week. The season-to-date earnings for Broadway stand at an impressive $1,117,470,529, with total attendance reaching 8,883,846. These figures highlight the enduring popularity and financial success of Broadway as a cultural institution. For more detailed box office listings, interested individuals can visit The Broadway League’s website for comprehensive information.