Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
#0Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 2:58pmClick below to access all the grosses from all the shows for the week ending 4/23/2006 in BroadwayWorld.com's grosses section.
#1re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:01pmWell has a top ticket price of $201, why?
#2re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:02pmTHREE DAYS OF RAIN at only 92%? Interesting.
Yankeefan007
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
#3re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:02pmLook's like there's a mistake....
#4re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:04pmMunk, that's very interesting. Granted 92% is impressive, but I thought the run was sold out.
#5re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:05pmI think a lot of tickets for Three Days of Rain were snapped up by brokers. A friend of mine who is a concierge said he has had brokers calling him left and right trying to unload tickets at a lower price than usual. This happened after the reviews came out.
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#6re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:05pm
Last week was press week for both Three Days of Rain and History Boys, which is why they both dropped 8-9% (tons of comps were handed out for both). Threepenny also dropped almost 7% for their press week. Things will go back to normal next week.
And brokers have nothing to do with these numbers. The tickets have been bought -- how much they are or aren't re-sold for has zero effect on these box office numbers.
#7re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:06pm
Yea 92% is wonderful, but when the average ticket price was over $111.25, it's surprising.
It may be because of the premium seats - maybe people aren't buying the premium seats. I would imagine that this show sets aside more premium seats than other shows, knowing very well that people will pay $250 to see Julia Roberts. However, when people don't, they have seats left over. That's my theory.
#8re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:07pm
WEDDING SINGER better hope for some fabulous reviews if it wants to hang on - all that papering and they are still at only 76%?
Ditto CHAPERONE, though I hear they are looking to move to a smaller theatre when something comes available.
Updated On: 4/25/06 at 03:07 PM
#9re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:10pm
Margo:
Obviously during press week there are a ton of comps, and that obviously causes to show to make less money, but aren't the comps still scanned and counted as people in seats? Are press comps truly not reflected in the attendance %? It seems that it would only make sense is they were...
#10re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:14pmAnd does attendance count as what's scanned in or what's sold (re: the scalpers for Three Days of Rain). From what you guys are saying, it sounds like it's what's scanned in, but I always just figured it would be as far as the tix that were actually sold/money that was brought in (whether the tickets were used or not).
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#11re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:18pm
Apparently not. Comps must be counted as unsold seats, because nothing else would explain the drop that ALWAYS happens during press weeks. Without fail, shows drop 5 - 10% during their press weeks, no matter how big a soldout megahit they are. I've been following these numbers for years and it happens every single time without exception.
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#12re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:28pm
I believe attendance is based on what's sold. If you went up to the box office and bought every single available seat for a given show for an 8 show week, the box office numbers would read 100% attendance for that week, even if no one actually sat in those seats you bought.
I remember one of the many things that got Livent in trouble was the fact that they would buy up unsold seats to their own productions to artificially inflate their box office numbers and make it look like certain shows were bigger hits than they actually were.
My understanding is that comps gotten through papering services are still counted sold seats because there is a nominal payment for the seats (which is why Suzanne Somers had decent attendance figures, but her average ticket price was $11, because most of the house was papered -- the $3-5 service fees were factored into to the gross ticket price numbers). Whereas, comps for press are simply seats withheld by a show's producers and press people with zero monetary exchange. There isn't even a nominal charge -- there's no charge at all. These seats were never "sold" and as a result -- even though there were people sitting in those seats -- those comps are not added to the attendance numbers and are simply counted as unsold seats.
#13re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:34pmHot Feet must be handing out a lot of comps, as they were only at 50%.
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#14re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:42pm
Yes, and their average ticket price was a paltry $44.53. Numbers that low almost always indicate papering and heavy discounting (compared to Jersey Boys, Three Days, and Wicked which all have average ticket prices around $100 -- no discounting there).
RentBoy86
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
#15re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:44pmwhy would Drowsy move? Isn't that so expensive? well they could always move into the theater where "Well" was/is. or when Ring of Fire closes eventually.
Yankeefan007
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/20/04
#16re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:44pmAre all of those Top ticket prices correct? Something seems fishy there....
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#17re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:48pmThe top ticket prices include premium tickets.
#18re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:49pmThe Barrymore would be a nice theatre for DROWSY - the Marquis is just too big for that little show.
#19re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:53pmI agree, Drowsy needs a smaller, more intimate theatre.
#20re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:56pmAnd The Barrymore (I think) is smaller by around 500 seats - as is the Longacre, though I prefer the Barrymore to the Longacre. They'd have to cut some seats down in the front orchestra to make way for the orchestra, and that will put the show at an even greater advantage. MOVE!
RentBoy86
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
#21re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:57pmBut wouldn't it be costly? It seems like with 80% they're filling it up. I could see how it would pay off. They should move before they get reviewed.
#22re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 3:59pmIf they are indeed looking to move, it would be smart to open after the reviews. If the reviews are overwhelmingly positive (which I don't think they'll be), the show might pick up and they might not even consider a move any more. The reviews will probably seal the fate for DROWSY.
RentBoy86
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/15/05
#23re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 4:03pm
Sorry, I don't follow. It would be better to open in a smaller theater after the reviews come out.
EDIT: Oh, wait I get it. Cause if the reviews are bad, they have a smaller house to play to.
I don't think there are any theaters that going to be open anytime soon. Except for Well's theater. It seems the producers are going to run Ring of Fire until people just stop coming to it.
#24re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 4/23/2006
Posted: 4/25/06 at 4:03pmI am truly amazed, that after all this time, Phantom is still selling out!
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