Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 10/30/22- Page 3

[JasonC3]

Posted: 11/3/22 at 7:25am

Hotel prices are always crazy on NYC Marathon weekend.

[Big Apple2]

Posted: 11/3/22 at 8:40am

I don’t know if the perceived high crime rate, lingering Covid fears or ticket prices are keeping tourists away. It certainly didn’t for us. We are here now since October 31st. Surprise to see Times Square crowded on Halloween night. The town is packed right now. Don’t know if that’s due to the Marathon this weekend. Lots of Europeans in town. The stores are packed with tourists buying goods on 5th Ave and in sporting goods stores near Macy’s. They have $$ to spend.

Went to see Leopoldstadt and Moulin Rouge. Both were packed. Also caught Death of a Salesman. That one was a little light. Very few wearing masks. Saw a long cancellation line for Funny Girl. Will be rushing two more shows before we leave. We try and catch shows we feel might not make it where we live or not the same when it tours (MR).

I can’t offer any reason for the mixed box office results. But the must see shows appear to be thriving. 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 11/3/22 at 11:44am

It's not the crime rate, Times Square is as insane as it's ever been, every day and night of the week. Also, tourist areas are well patrolled and people obviously feel safe (see: massive crowds). People have less money to spend on luxury items. People are worried about the cost of food and as we approach Winter, heating costs. Whatever the main reason is, audiences have been awesome lately so I'm good with the new, focused, respectful crowds of people who pay a lot of money for tickets and actually appreciate that fact. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/3/22 at 11:51am

It's most certainly financial. People aren't going to take a $100 risk on some new show they haven't heard of and don't know if they'll like it. Maybe once the new shows get reviewed they might pickup, but, even looking at A Strange Loop, it seems like people want their comfort foods and not the new shows they are uncertain if they will like. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 11/3/22 at 12:18pm

RippedMan said: "It's most certainly financial. People aren't going to take a $100 risk on some new show they haven't heard of and don't know if they'll like it. Maybe once the new shows get reviewed they might pickup, but, even looking at A Strange Loop, it seems like people want their comfort foods and not the new shows they are uncertain if they will like."

In the abstract, what you say may be right, but what do you think the cross-over is? In other words, how low would the "risk" need to be for people to take a chance on a show such as you describe. I ask because the disconnect around here seems to be that people want to buy tickets at unsustainable price points. And the fact of the matter, of course. is that the shows you are describing are often sold at low price points via a variety of paths.

 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 11/3/22 at 1:02pm

I don't even mean ticket prices. I mean everything. Hotel, flights, cabs, food. It's all expensive and most people aren't throwing their money around currently. 

 

[bear88]

Posted: 11/3/22 at 5:17pm

JasonC3 said: "Hotel prices are always crazy on NYC Marathon weekend."

We deduced that later.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 11/3/22 at 8:43pm

RippedMan said: "It's most certainly financial. People aren't going to take a $100 risk on some new show they haven't heard of and don't know if they'll like it. Maybe once the new shows get reviewed they might pickup, but, even looking at A Strange Loop, it seems like people want their comfort foods and not the new shows they are uncertain if they will like."

I don't dispute that its largely financial--especially when it comes to tourists. 

But there is 100% an attitude of The City Isnt Safe permeating lots of different communities nearby.  Plenty of people have asked me about how I go about my life here because they are under the impression its a nonstop onslaught of crime. Thats ridiculous, of course, but I cant believe that this impression doesnt impact sales, as many simply avoid the trip into the city. 

[GiantsInTheSky2]

Posted: 11/4/22 at 7:17am

As someone who works in a public-facing role every day, it’s the only thing people talk about. I’d say about 80% (and granted I do tend to face an older crowd) of people I engage with have fears about the city, and maybe 20% who have some common sense or have been in the city long enough to know that crime is still down from not just the 80’s, but even the 90’s - and we didn’t have social media teaching every corner of the world, sensationalizing how ‘terrifying’ everything is.

[kwoc91]

Posted: 11/4/22 at 9:30am

PipingHotPiccolo said: "But there is 100% an attitude of The City Isnt Safe permeating lots of different communities nearby. Plenty of people have asked me about how I go about my life here because they are under the impression its a nonstop onslaught of crime. Thats ridiculous, of course, but I cant believe that this impression doesnt impact sales, as many simply avoid the trip into the city."

Sadly I've experienced this as well. Every time I leave the city, people ask me if I feel safe, how can I possibly feel comfortable taking the Subway, etc. I usually present them with a few facts and that shuts them up, but it's certainly a narrative that has taken hold (and not just among my right wing family members).

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 11/4/22 at 10:54am

I'm not saying the city is a hellscape of crime as portrayed by Fox News. But I still try to avoid being out late at night when possible. There are shows I've skipped because those venues are more out of the way and I know it would be harder to blend into the safety of a crowd. The deranged ranting when you're trapped on public transportation, the aggressive panhandling, the harassment, the random violence and hate crimes... the uneasy feeling doesn't just come from the fearmongering on the news. The man following me probably won't do anything... probably... but I give people a wider berth than I used to, especially at night.

Also, I skipped Medea partially because the Met dropped their mask mandate. I do feel better with the updated booster but I'm still wary about whatever will be my first show/concert of the fall (the one this weekend got cancelled because of covid).

[David10086]

Posted: 11/5/22 at 4:54pm

It's not the 'crime' headlines. It's not the pandemic. 

As James Carville said 30 years ago:  "It's the economy, stupid."

Mortgage rates have doubled in the past nine months. The housing market has cooled, but rents keep going up. Credit card interest rates are climbing.  The price of a gallon of gas is about $1.75 more than it was two years ago. Inflation is at a 40 year high. Electricity, home heating oil and natural gas is sky-rocketing for the winter season. And of course - the holidays are coming (which means the holiday dinners will cost about 20% more than last year, as well as gifts and travel).  And of course, people are terrified of the 'mid-term elections' next week, no matter who wins. 

Do you really think the average tourist has extra money to gamble on theater tickets for shows that are not getting the best reviews ?  No way. 

I think it's going to be a disappointing holiday season on Broadway, unfortunately. 

 

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 11/5/22 at 5:17pm

I said when I lived in nyc, why does my rent keep going up but the quality of my building went down! Greed, I guess. It was already an expensive city.