Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 10/15/23

[Rob]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 12:49pm

Click below to access all the Broadway grosses from all the shows for the week ending 10/15/2023 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 (% of capacity) was: SOME LIKE IT HOT (7.5%), A BEAUTIFUL NOISE, THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL (6.1%), SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET (5.2%), THE SHARK IS BROKEN (4.8%), GUTENBERG! THE MUSICAL! (3.6%), KIMBERLY AKIMBO (1.7%), MJ THE MUSICAL (1.5%), SIX (1.5%), HAMILTON (1.3%), & JULIET (0.4%), HERE LIES LOVE (0.3%),

Down for the week by attendance (% of capacity) was: MELISSA ETHERIDGE: MY WINDOW (-7.3%), JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING (-4.9%), ALADDIN (-3.7%), THE BOOK OF MORMON (-3.5%), HADESTOWN (-2.4%), CHICAGO (-2%), PURLIE VICTORIOUS: A NON-CONFEDERATE ROMP THROUGH THE COTTON PATCH (-1.9%), THE COTTAGE (-1.5%), HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD (-1.3%), WICKED (-1.1%), MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL (-0.7%), BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL (-0.6%), THE LION KING (-0.1%),

Click Here to Visit the BroadwayWorld Grosses...

[chrishuyen]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 1:39pm

Purlie's average ticket seems quite high compared to its overall capacity.  I don't remember if their high school initiative has kicked in yet, but I would've assumed it to be the opposite. Did they stop discounting or something?

Meanwhile, it seems like A Beautiful Noise's new schedule might be working out for them, but I'm quite curious to see how it fares in the long run.

Harry Potter seems to be doing fine for now, but I'm wondering how the tour will affect it, since the fact that NYC is the only place in the US that it can currently be seen could make it feel more like an "event", but it might also depend on how they do the effects for the tour, and if people would want to see the "original" effects still.

I didn't realize this was Merrily's first 8 show week but it seems like they're really just going to keep going up.

[kwoc91]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 1:41pm

Wowza those Merrily numbers are great!

Here Lies Love continues to struggle. It can't keep this up for much longer, right? 

Hadestown is in a rough spot too. Not sure Jordan Fisher will save those grosses.

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 2:12pm

Gutenberg continues to climb, even with press comps and opening night they were up over last week. 

[binau]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 2:14pm

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "Gutenberg continues to climb, even with press comps and opening night they were up over last week."

Also, surely it must be cheap to run?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 2:41pm

BoringBoredBoard40 said: "Gutenberg continues to climb, even with press comps and opening night they were up over last week."

Yeah, it's always encouraging when a show's numbers RISE in its Opening Week, considering all the comps.

Those MERRILY numbers make me MERRY.

Did A BEAUTIFUL NOISE have something ahead of last week that caused the $123K bump, or is this just the new schedule & less product in the marketplace talking? A TV ad spend, etc?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 2:49pm

chrishuyen said: "Purlie's average ticket seems quite high compared to its overall capacity. I don't remember if their high school initiative has kicked in yet, but I would've assumed it to be the opposite. Did they stop discounting or something?"

There are still codes out there, but they are probably not comping as much now. That's how you get a $40 increase in average cost and a 15% drop in seats filled (compared to where they were 2 weeks ago). Hovering around a $100 average isn't great, but it's a heck of a lot better than SHARK and where PURLIE started.

Considering all the press and positive reviews, perhaps the gross of the past 2 weeks (a little under $500K) is their peak. Which is surely higher than the running cost and doesn't bode well for continuing to February despite the premature announcement.

[noahseestheatre]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 2:50pm

I wanted to get a HLL ticket for my trip in December but I'm too scared it's going to close! 

[jkcohen626]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 2:53pm

binau said: "BoringBoredBoard40 said: "Gutenberg continues to climb, even with press comps and opening night they were up over last week."

Also, surely it must be cheap to run?"

I think Gutenberg's capitalization was probably higher than I would have expected. No spoilers, but the physical production is significantly bigger than I would have expected. 

However, it's got to be cheap to run. Even with Gad and Rannels probably commanding pretty high salaries, it's still only 2 actors, 2 understudies, and 3 musicians. I guess 3 actors if there's a guest star. I wonder how much a guest star gets paid and if it's variable depending on the star.  

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 3:17pm

kwoc91 said: Here Lies Love continues to struggle. It can't keep this up for much longer, right?

It's really anybody's guess. It's persisted this long and just cracked 100 performances, but even some of the cast were saying on Instagram to "help us make it to 100 more". I think they all have some awareness that the situation isn't looking the best, but are holding out hope and the producers seem to be trying every gimmick they can in the book. 

Personally, I went to the Power Hour with apl.de.ap from the Black Eyed Peas last Thursday and it was an EASILY sold out house, but then went to the Saturday matinee two days later (with friends in town) and the floor had quite a few noticeable gaps (and a very pouty Zachary Quinto standing in the back looking like a teenager who was brought there by his friends against his will - I was next to him during Ninoy's funeral)
 

 

[quizking101]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 3:28pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "chrishuyen said: "Purlie's average ticket seems quite high compared to its overall capacity. I don't remember if their high school initiative has kicked in yet, but I would've assumed it to be the opposite. Did they stop discounting or something?"

There are still codes out there, but they are probably not comping as much now. That's how you get a $40 increase in average cost and a 15% drop in seats filled (compared to where they were 2 weeks ago).Hovering around a $100 average isn't great, but it's a heck of a lot better than SHARK and where PURLIE started.

Considering all the press and positive reviews, perhaps the gross of the past 2 weeks (a little under $500K) is their peak. Which is surely higher than the running cost and doesn't bode well for continuing to February despite the premature announcement."

I honestly think this might be starting to gain some traction. Time will tell, but nobody can say that Leslie isn't promoting the hell out of this. With the NYC based talk shows back in business, he's able to get on there and put it out to the local and national audiences, and the show itself has built a small fanbase of repeat buyers (though that usually happens with most shows anyway).

One ringing endorsement the show has gotten was from Whoopi Goldberg, who had Leslie and Kara on The View roughly two weeks ago, but also she's pushing it to the audience members in studio. (I was there not too long ago, and she was raving about it to an audience member who asked her favorite show currently.)

[ACL2006]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 3:29pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: 

Did A BEAUTIFUL NOISE have something ahead of last week that caused the $123K bump, or is this just the new schedule & less product in the marketplace talking? A TV ad spend, etc?"

I think their target audience is less likely to come on a holiday weekend. So since the week prior was Columbus Day weekend, I think that caused a large increase for this week.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 4:15pm

quizking101 said: "I honestly think this might be starting to gain some traction. Time will tell, but nobody can say that Leslie isn't promoting the hell out of this. With the NYC based talk shows back in business, he's able to get on there and put it out to the local and national audiences, and the show itself has built a small fanbase of repeat buyers (though that usually happens with most shows anyway).

One ringing endorsement the show has gotten was from Whoopi Goldberg, who had Leslie and Kara on The View roughly two weeks ago, but also she's pushing it to the audience members in studio. (I was there not too long ago, and she was raving about it to an audience member who asked her favorite show currently.)"


Yes he's been everywhere, and I think we are seeing the results of that now (the bump from $358K to $485K last week post-opening). That is why I don't think we should expect these numbers to get much better; he's maxed out interest because he and the show have a finite fanbase. Awareness vs Interest. He's also promoting an album, and PURLIE is not a musical.

I'll gladly be proved wrong by the data in the coming weeks.

[Robbie2]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 4:24pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "BoringBoredBoard40 said: "Gutenberg continues to climb, even with press comps and opening night they were up over last week."

Yeah, it's always encouraging when a show's numbers RISE in its Opening Week, considering all the comps.

Those MERRILY numbers make me MERRY.

Did A BEAUTIFUL NOISE have something ahead of last week that caused the $123K bump, or is this just the new schedule & less product in the marketplace talking? A TV ad spend, etc?"

 

Merrily doing amazing biz as the Hudson only hold 966 seats $1.706M!

[MrJNLong]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 10:27pm

Wow.

Two Sondheim musicals in the Top 5 grossing shows on Broadway this week...and a third completely new Sondheim show opening Off-Broadway this weekend.

Never thought I'd ever say that sentence...

Updated On: 10/17/23 at 10:27 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 10:46pm

I do wonder the producing of Harry Potter. Why not hype up the nyc production as such an event. But now they’re going to send out a less than good tour? Just watering it all down. 

[DrMonicaDeMoneco]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 10:49pm

MrJNLong said: "Wow.

Two Sondheim musicals in the Top 5 grossing shows on Broadway this week. And a third completely new Sondheim show opening Off-Broadway this weekend.

What a time to be alive "

Um

[MrJNLong]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 11:04pm

"Um"

Yup, I see it now. Woops.  Edited it...

Updated On: 10/17/23 at 11:04 PM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 11:20pm

Still so odd (to me, at least) to see so few shows reaching 100% capacity.  Only two this week, with Merrily being the only one to hit it both this AND last week.

 

(Yes, many shows are in the 90th percentile, which is nothing to sneeze at either.)

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/17/23 at 11:46pm

RippedMan said: "I do wonder the producing of Harry Potter. Why not hype up the nyc production as such an event. But now they’re going to send out a less than good tour? Just watering it all down."

Isn't that what they've been doing for 5 years? Its advertising materials tout it as a SPECTACULAR and A ONE OF A KIND THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE. They know there's money left on the table if they don't tour it, and the two-part structure was likely the biggest obstacle around touring initially. And who said the tour is going to be less than good or watered down?? Modified for the road does not always equal less good!

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/18/23 at 12:02am

dramamama611 said: "Still so odd (to me, at least) to see so few shows reaching 100% capacity. Only two this week, with Merrily being the only one to hit it both this AND last week. (Yes, many shows are in the 90th percentile, which is nothing to sneeze at either.)"

This sent me down a short rabbit hole and I spot-checked 5 random dates pre-Covid and post-Covid. It seems like there was a much higher number of shows filling every seat pre-shutdown. That's not the only indicator of a show doing well, like you implied, and the gross potential (which the League foolishly refuses to publish now) tells the real story and is much more indicative of success. But it's an interesting comparison as we assess the industry's health since theaters reopened.

# of shows that reached 100% or more capacity in a given week:

9/17/23 - 0
7/16/23 - 3
10/30/22 - 2
2/6/22 - 1
12/5/21 - 2

2/16/20 - 10
11/17/19 - 7
8/25/19 - 8
10/4/18 - 6
5/6/18 - 9

Updated On: 10/18/23 at 12:02 AM

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/18/23 at 12:10am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "chrishuyen said: "Purlie's average ticket seems quite high compared to its overall capacity. I don't remember if their high school initiative has kicked in yet, but I would've assumed it to be the opposite. Did they stop discounting or something?"

There are still codes out there, but they are probably not comping as much now. That's how you get a $40 increase in average cost and a 15% drop in seats filled (compared to where they were 2 weeks ago).Hovering around a $100 average isn't great, but it's a heck of a lot better than SHARK and where PURLIE started.

Considering all the press and positive reviews, perhaps the gross of the past 2 weeks (a little under $500K) is their peak. Which is surely higher than the running cost and doesn't bode well for continuing to February despite the premature announcement."

…or returning much to its investors, — if anything

— which is sad.  If you open a revival that very few people who are alive today have ever seen on Broadway, it gets rave reviews and is said to be extraordinarily funny, and they don’t buy tickets, you get further validation of how hard it is to open a show without a big star (which LOJr is not) these days.  I am hoping that grosses will continue to rise on an aggressive trajectory.

[binau]

Posted: 10/18/23 at 3:04am

MrJNLong said: "Wow.

Two Sondheim musicals in the Top 5 grossing shows on Broadway this week...and a third completely new Sondheim show opening Off-Broadway this weekend.

Never thought I'd ever say that sentence..."

2-3 years ago if someone said that in 2023 we'd have a lavish production of a new Sondheim musical off-broadway with that cast and creative team, a Merrily revival with Daniel Radcliffe and Jonathan Groff, and a Sweeney Todd revival with Josh Groban and Ashford (for better or worse, I was skeptical at first and thought worse before I had seen it - but now I think better) - I honestly think they'd be ridiculed and dismissed as ridiculous fan aspirations. It actually sounds even less likely than my constant dreaming of Bernadette popping up somewhere as Mrs Lovett. And yet, Here We Are. 

Updated On: 10/18/23 at 03:04 AM

[AKarp2013]

Posted: 10/19/23 at 8:32am

Has there been any indication on when/if Sweeney Todd will announce a closing? I think most are in agreement that the production won't go beyond Josh Groban's contract and tickets are still only on sale through January 14. Could they be waiting until early November to announce the production's future to get the holiday & closing demand going?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/19/23 at 10:59am

AKarp2013 said: "Has there been any indication on when/ifSweeney Toddwill announce a closing? I think most are in agreement that the production won't go beyond Josh Groban's contract and tickets are still only on sale through January 14. Could they be waiting until early November to announce the production's future to get the holiday & closing demand going?"

There have been reports on here that they are trying to secure star replacements. But unless it's people equal to or greater than Josh Groban (and reaching a somewhat different audience), it seems like a fool's errand to replace. Unless Seller wants to burn up any profits made by JG's run.