Emptiest/Smallest Audiences at Broadway shows?

[Joshua Rosenthal]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 3:43pm

I dont think I have ever been to a show where I noticed it being significantly empty or not packed other than MAYBE when I saw the revival of Miss Saigon (wed matinee), where I believe the mezzanine wasnt so packed and I THINK some ppl claimed it to be rather freed up, but idk since it was long ago and wasnt looking (but we were in the rear of the mezzanine), plus idk if I really remember ppl pointing it out as much or if Im just accidentally making stuff up, but whatever I didnt Really mind, but I was wondering what your stories were. Another story comes from my friends mom. My friend said that her mom went to a show soon after 9/11 I think, and I believe she said it was a closing night performance and that the audience was of a small number that show. Regardless, any stories from anyone? Hope youre all staying well and safe! <3

P.S. Miss Saigon was great!

EDIT: Thanks for all the replies! I can definitely see a common theme with “The Lightning Theif” especially. I was close to seeing this, as my dad and I had that and Tootsie as our main choices (I think I advocated for Tootsie and him TLT). Was it bad or maybe underhyped? It seemed like a great show. I also see another theme with Head Over Heels. My dad and I saw this in September, and from my memory, the theatre seemed well-packed, however I don’t really remember. The audience was hyped. I liked the show, I just wished that The Oracle (played by the amazing Peppermint) was a bigger part, given that Peppermint was definitely not only a headliner for the show, but that she was amazing as well. The Hudson seems to have shows run for smaller amounts of time though. I can’t tell if they’re intentionally housing shorter runs (not to be rude to anyone involved with the theatre and/or any of the shows) or if something else. 

Updated On: 5/3/20 at 03:43 PM

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 3:53pm

I saw War Horse two months before it closed and I was the only person in the mezzanine. The orchestra was like 65% full. Also, the mezzanine at Bridges of Madison County was pretty empty the five times I attended that beautiful show.

DAMN I MISS THEATER.

[quizking101]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 4:02pm

Both times I saw the revival of DROOD (once in previews and once during a pending January snowstorm), the mezzanine was so empty that they let us move down to the front mezz

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 4:06pm

I went to (I think) the final Tuesday evening performance of Tuck Everlasting. I never had to wait in line for the restroom. A first!

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 4:08pm

Got moved from rear mezz to front mezz at both Doll's House Part 2 and the recent Frankie and Johnny revival.

Also did TDF for Mothers & Sons and got front row seats- I looked up at the mezz and it was empty.

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 4:22pm

A very snowy night at Bridges of Madison County.  It was JRB and just a few audience members. The mezzanine was closed and that theater was quiet - it felt like a funeral. He looked very disappointed.

[dearalanaaaa]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 4:23pm

I wasn't there, but before the system glitch the audience for Getting the band Back together must have been empty. The mezzanine always had available tickets! And the orchestra didn't seem too packed either online. 

[whatdoesntkillme]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 4:38pm

Toward the end of Something Rotten!'s run they closed the balcony. Knowing this, my group bought balcony tickets on TodayTix and were moved to the front mezzanine (a great view in that theater) at discount balcony prices.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 4:38pm

at Chicago a few years ago (MAYBE during Christie Brinkley's gawd awful run) my entire group of 100 was moved to the front mezz from the very back of the theater.

There have been others - but this one is the closest to a "story"

[OKBroadwayFan]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 4:52pm

I saw Gary the Sequel..  close to the end of the run.   I had bought a cheap ticket and they moved us all up front.  I would say about 50% full.  

[ArtMan]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 4:59pm

The most recent was Head Over Heels.  I had balcony seats and they moved everyone to the mezzanine.  The best smallest audience was years ago at Taller Than A Dwarf, with Mathew Broderick and Parker Posey.  It was a hot June day.  There was only about 10 people in the entire mezzanine.  With fewer people, you could really feel the air conditioner.  The play wasn't that good.  But it ranks up there as one of my most enjoyable theater experiences.  Nobody next to you or even near you. 

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 5:03pm

I don't know that anything will ever top Prymate, which back in 2004 at one point had 303 people attend in a week (that's an average of 37 people per performance--in a Broadway theatre).

[lachri5]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 5:04pm

When I saw Hand to God (loved it!), the house was so empty, they moved us from mezz to front orchestra. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 5:22pm

The night I saw LIGHTNING THIEF, they were letting everyone that had tickets in the balcony and mezzanine move down to the orchestra. This was apparently quite frequent for this show.

During one of my visits to the Esparza COMPANY revival, there was maybe 50 people in the mezzanine.

SISTER ACT closed off half of its mezzanine early in its run.

Bea Arthur's one woman show was reported to occasionally have houses at 10% capacity.

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 5:35pm

A random Sunday matinee at On Your Feet. Only the last 2 rows in the mezzanine were filled with people. We all moved down to the front of the mezzanine. No clue how many people were in the orchestra.

[MollyJeanneMusic]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 5:39pm

By the nature of the production, the recent Oklahoma revival had very small, intimate audiences.  Unfortunately, having the house lights up means that people notice the empty seats more than usual.  I saw it in November and am still not sure if I saw it with a small audience or I just noticed the empty seats because of the house lights and the already-small capacity.

[broadway86]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 6:28pm

“Barefoot in the Park” starring Patrick Wilson and Amanda Peet. We got moved from the balcony to front mezzanine and it was quiiiiet. Jill Clayburgh was the only one who got laughs, Wilson and Peet were unfortunately directed to play it completely straight.

[Phantom4ever]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 6:35pm

The Phantom of the Opera, two Saturdays after September 11th:

Everybody was saying that the long runners were going to close because tourists, especially international tourists, would not return to New York City. So I bought  a rear mezzanine ticket to Phantom, bracing myself for seeing my beloved show one final time. A few minutes before curtain, the ushers told everyone in the rear mezz and front mezz to come downstairs. The jammed us into the first 7 rows of the front orchestra. When I turned around and saw the theater essentially empty and the ushers talking about how this is how it is at every performance, I got choked up and realized that the rumors were true and long runners like Phantom would never survive small audiences like that for long. Little did I know that by 2003, ALW and CM did strongly consider closing Phantom but luckily grosses bounced back. 

 

Avenue Q, the first night back after the IATSE strike, December 2007

When they announced the strike was over, I was so happy I knew I had to see a show that night, so I raced to Times Sq and got tickets to Avenue Q. Word had apparently not gotten out yet because the mezz looked almost empty and the orchestra was at most 30-40% full. 

Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune, summer 2019

This was was generally unpopular, and the performance I went to was no exception. I was in the front mezz and the ushers told everyone to sit wherever they wanted and to spread out. There was maybe ten people at most in the mezz. The weird part was two women sat right behind me even though there were acres of empty seats and they gave a running commentary of the play. Normally that would have angered me but they were actually witty and shady so I somehow enjoyed their rudeness. 

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 7:32pm

I got a rush ticket for a random weeknight to Scandelous and I'm not joking when I say there were maybe 100-ish people in ALL of the Simon, including Kathy Lee who got to her seat really early and was talking to people and taking pictures. It was so dead and when we applauded it was so strange to hear the emptiness.

[mailhandler777]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 7:37pm

dearalanaaaa said: "I wasn't there, but before the system glitch the audience for Getting the band Back together must have been empty. The mezzanine always had available tickets! And the orchestra didn't seem too packed either online."

I went to closing through TDF and ended up getting 4th row center orchestra. Not many people around me.

[Laurapattifan]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 7:47pm

Significant Other was pretty empty for its entire run, sadly. Great Society the loge was very empty and the orchestra was probably 75%. I remember Nikka saying Women on the Verge having a performance of around 200... could be exaggerating though.

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 7:47pm

blaxx said: "A very snowy night at Bridges of Madison County. It was JRB and just a few audience members. ... He looked very disappointed."

This legit made me sad.

 

[Menken Fan]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 7:55pm

I went to see Urban Cowboy after the reviews came out.  I don't think there were more than 100 people in the audience.  We all moved down front.  It was very echo-y in the house that night.

[aj88]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 8:59pm

I remember going to a matinee of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES back in 2011. New York got hit with a big snowstorm the night before which led to a fairly empty theatre....I would say less than half full.

My then partner and I actually had box seats but the theatre was so empty that they allowed any one in the mezzanine/boxes to move down, which we promptly did.

It was a testament to how good of a revival it was to how responsive the audience was that it didn’t matter its size.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/29/20 at 9:03pm

50 plus years ago, I saw The Subject Was Roses at the Belasco. The only occupied seats in the entire theatre were the first 10 rows center of the orchestra. I was only 16 and I remember feeling sorry for the actors. I also saw The Lion In Winter at the Ambassador Theatre — with Robert Preston and an incredibly acclaimed (and Tony winning Rosemary Harris) — in a theatre that could not have been more than 25% full. At least in this one, the audience reaction was much louder than the audience size would have suggested.