Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22- Page 2
Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#25Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 2:57pm
Ouch to Paradise Square with the lowest avg ticket price for a musical, less than fifty bucks. Looks like they ran out of people to paper the place with, too. OOF.
If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it?
These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#26Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 3:02pm
I'm not sure what the vibe is in NYC, but outside of it, it's getting a lot of bad press re: violence, covid, etc. So I could see why a lot of people maybe aren't choosing it currently as a tourist destination.
Sutton Ross
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/13
#27Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 3:02pm
Sadly, Paradise Square is not long for this world.
#28Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 3:07pm
Sutton Ross said: "Sadly,Paradise Square is not long for this world."
If they don’t get a Best Musical nom, they’re closing on the 15th. Pretty much set in stone with those godawful numbers.
Oh look, a bibu!
#29Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 3:34pm
I feel like Paradise Square has gotten like..0 promotion. I don't really hear any buzz about it word of mouth either.
Miss Keisha? Miss Keisha? Miss Keishhhaaaa?
#30Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 3:35pm
COMPANY strikes me as being at a critical juncture, but in a way that may very well turn out favorably for them.
True, these grosses are not great, and the high number of principle contracts probably makes it fairly expensive to run. But I’d wager that they’re still making their weekly nut (though I could be wrong about that). Obviously they want to be working with better margins, but as long as they’re making their nut, they’re in a comfortable position to wait until the Tonys, where they’re likely to make out pretty well.
If they do well at the Tonys, use smart marketing, and give a great performance on the telecast, they could definitely increase they’re sales meaningfully.
Will it be enough to recoup? Hard to know. Especially since we don’t know the capitalization. But I could see it happening, especially if they manage to secure a starry replacement for either LuPone or Lenk (or hell, maybe even one of the supporting roles, like Jamie?). But even in the best case scenario, I don’t anticipate anyone getting rich off this show.
Updated On: 5/3/22 at 03:35 PM
ErmengardeStopSniveling
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
#31Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 3:36pm
OhHiii, it's worth noting that several Sondheim revivals have recouped. Off the top of my head Sunday '17, Night Music '09, Sweeney '05, and Forum '96. But yes, Sondheim's work is esoteric and not necessarily appealing to the masses. That this COMPANY has done so well up to this point is pretty impressive.
ErmengardeStopSniveling
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/18
#32Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 3:41pm
OhHiii said: "CFA probably still broke even last week. If they lost money, it wan't much. It's a surprisingly cheap show to run and doubt they've asked for concessions yet."
I would be amazed if CFA costs less than $500K to run per week these days. 18 in the cast (incl understudies) and 8 in the band. And a theatre owner with a glut of shows wanting to come in.
Hairspray0901
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/29/08
#33Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 3:47pm
I have never let NYC crime scare me but as a young, Asian woman, between the crime and Covid - I’m hesitant to come into the city these days. I live in Jersey and I used to either take the bus or train in, or park at Port Authority all the time and now I drive in and park as close to the theatre as possible. I don’t take the subway anymore.
As for tickets, I bought Into the Woods and Company MONTHS ago, and still plan on going next week but, I’ve got nothing else lined up and I honestly don’t plan on buying anything in the near future.
JasonC3
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/22/21
#34Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 3:57pm
As someone who usually travels to NYC 5-6 times a year for a week of shows, I've rarely seen such high airfares and hotel rates going into the summer months. It makes me wonder how much impact that might have on shows going forward.
BroadwayRox3588
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/5/16
#35Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 4:15pm
JasonC3 said: "As someone who usually travels to NYC 5-6 times a year for a week of shows, I've rarely seen such high airfares and hotel rates going into the summer months. It makes me wonder how much impact that might have on shows going forward."
This. I'm coming to the city for an intensive next month, and I'm stumped trying to find somewhere to stay that won't cost my firstborn (not that I have kids, but you know). And I travel to the city quite frequently too, and am very crafty at finding affordable stuff.
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#36Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 5:05pm
Travel is insane. I wanted to pop in over the summer and see some shows, but I can't afford $2000 in just travel expenses.
saxpower
Featured Actor Joined: 9/14/16
#37Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 5:31pm
As some have said, part of this is simply time of year. Spring breaks are over AND the school year is winding down- which means kids/families are busy with end of year performances/events, and for older kids, end-of- year school projects/tests/teacher trying to fit more in by the end of the year. Might the downturn wind up forcing some shows to close? Yes, especially new shows which don't get many nominations (or down the roads, Tonys). The producers likely have some idea of seasonal trends, and the longer running shows (who have already made back their investment) may be in a position to look at the "long haul"- they may lose money in certian months, but other months more than make up for it.
OhHiii
Broadway Star Joined: 4/30/16
#38Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 5:39pm
ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "OhHiii said: "CFA probably still broke even last week. If they lost money, it wan't much. It's a surprisingly cheap show to run and doubt they've asked for concessions yet."
I would be amazed if CFA costs less than $500K to run per week these days. 18 in the cast (incl understudies) and 8 in the band. And a theatre owner with a glut of shows wanting to come in."
Be amazed then, because CFA costs less than $500K to run.
#39Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 5:42pm
This is just my opinion but I still think there is MUCH more of a COVID effect than a crime effect...
Consider that people still may not be attending for one or more of the following reasons:
- they are not comfortable being in a crowded theater
- COVID numbers are rising again
- they are concerned about travel for COVID reasons
- they don't want to wear a mask
- they are not vaccinated (as per policy until 4/30)
One of those issues might not make much of a dent but when you take all five into account, that's going to hurt the "general public" tickets. Sure, many excited theatergoers who love Broadway have come back but there is absolutely a sizable part of the 2019 Broadway attending crowd that has not come back yet for one COVID related reason or another.
#40Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 6:36pm
I am not sure I have ever seen a thread with as much concentrated cluelessness as is on display in this one. Let's review:
1. To quote the first Bill Clinton campaign war room: "it's the economy, stupid."
2. To paraphrase Alfred Marshall: it's the law of supply and demand, stupid.
3. To attempt to peg this week's numbers to crime does not hold up under even minimal scrutiny: is all of the crime risk inside Broadway theatres?
4. To attempt to peg this week's numbers to covid does not hold up under even minimal scrutiny: is all of the covid risk inside Broadway theatres?
Sorry, friends, but there is no mystery here. We've known since the great reopening that we were getting too many shows for the demand. Then we hit the great April traffic jam. Once again we all knew that too many shows were opening in too short a time frame, with the soft market that we also knew about all along. So what do we get? Shows competing with each other to give away tickets and STILL coming up short. But yeah, clueless friends, keep up the good work.
P.S. Paradise will close whenever whoever is currently financing the misbegotten bleeding (that started week 1 and has never slowed down) decides to pull the plug (or we get to the point that someone else wants the house which, logically, is a way off.
Auggie27
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/13/03
#41Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 6:39pm
I live here and from fairly extensive anecdotal evidence this season can attest: it’s far more about Covid than crime. If about crime at all. I know traditional Manhattan theatergoers who’ve yet to return or attended only once. A friend is flying in from Chicago in two weeks and for the first time ever is skipping Broadway. Most local friends have similar stories.
Could all change but the rising travel costs put the focus back on tri-state audiences, the attendees we began the season discussing as the core, foundational group needed for winter weeknights and midweek matinees. Those are my performances and I have found house seats on TDF for both, all season.
Plus, as experts here school us: there are a helluva lot of shows open this jammed of a season closer and only so much demand.
"I'm a comedian, but in my spare time, things bother me." Garry Shandling
Updated On: 5/3/22 at 06:39 PM
Erik3
Swing Joined: 4/16/22
#42Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 6:54pm
Echoing everyone else, seems to be a lot of factors coalescing at once...
- Spring break just ended. I flew in Thursday morning and left Monday evening. The airports were, anecdotally, pretty empty.
- There are dozens of shows right now and not enough tourists and locals to fill them. Blame COVID, blame crime, blame travel prices - I'd blame all three. People who aren't happy about masks won't go. People who aren't vaccinated (mostly) couldn't go until Sunday.
- Travel prices do seem to be especially ridiculous, however. We bought our tickets months ago at a fairly reasonable price (LAX > JFK), but I did recently look at Google Flights, as I was pondering a return trip. The fares are astronomical, and I'm really hesitating to return in the summer.
As far as Beetlejuice... again, this is an anecdotal story, but I had every intention of seeing it. However, I felt it was way too aggressively priced - much higher than what I remember paying in 2019. I joined this board to ask about potential discounts, especially considering the rough-looking sales... I think they pulled the trigger on TKTS listings and discount codes too late. We bailed and switched to Cursed Child when they offered us the TodayTix lottery loser rate. (Perhaps tellingly, we got center orchestra seats with those...) Hope BJ survives through the summer so I have a chance to see it on Broadway again... otherwise, I guess I'll just have to catch the tour.
#43Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 6:57pm
HogansHero said: "I am not sure I have ever seen a thread with as much concentrated cluelessness as is on display in this one. Let's review:
1. To quote the first Bill Clinton campaign war room: "it's the economy, stupid."
2. To paraphrase Alfred Marshall: it's the law of supply and demand, stupid.
3. To attempt to peg this week's numbers to crime does not hold up under even minimal scrutiny: is all of the crime risk inside Broadway theatres?
4. To attempt to peg this week's numbers to covid does not hold up under even minimal scrutiny: is all of the covid risk inside Broadway theatres?
Sorry, friends, but there is no mystery here. We've known since the great reopening that we were getting too many shows for the demand. Then we hit the great April traffic jam. Once again we all knew that too many shows were opening in too short a time frame, with the soft market that we also knew about all along. So what do we get? Shows competing with each other to give away tickets and STILL coming up short. But yeah, clueless friends, keep up the good work.
P.S. Paradise will close whenever whoever is currently financing the misbegotten bleeding (that started week 1 and has never slowed down) decides to pull the plug (or we get to the point that someone else wants the house which, logically, is a way off."
I agree with all that you said but the soft market is and has been because of COVID, not crime. That was my point. I'm not saying it's suddenly a COVID reason in the last week, it's a collective issue that there is a large contingency of theater goers who have not stepped foot back in a Broadway theatre. And like you said, that's more noticeable when there's more shows playing and it's not a holiday/break. But it all still goes back to COVID in my opinion.
bk
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/20/03
#44Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 7:50pm
So many experts here. :) Since Spring Break being over is being the prime culprit in this thread, I'm amazed that The Lion King, a family show, still does a milliion-five.
Updated On: 5/3/22 at 07:50 PM#45Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 7:52pm
Mr. Wormwood said: "I agree with all that you said but the soft market is and has been because of COVID, not crime. That was my point. I'm not saying it's suddenly a COVID reason in the last week, it's a collective issue that there is a large contingency of theater goers who have not stepped foot back in a Broadway theatre. And like you said, that's more noticeable when there's more shows playing and it's not a holiday/break. But it all still goes back to COVID in my opinion."
totally agree. Perhaps I was imprecise but we are where we are because of Covid. I was reacting to the unsupportable notion that the lack of audience this week could be attributed to the most recent covid fluctuations. There is a large market share that has never returned to the theatre post-covid. It was noticeable over the least touristed frames this year, and it is painfully obvious at MTC, RTC, LCT. That's not the share that's making Jackman a champ.
#46Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 8:00pm
bk said: "So many experts here. :) Since Spring Break being over is being the prime culprit in this thread, I'm amazed that The Lion King, a family show, still does a milliion-five."
Huh?
TLK is down $365k week to week. We have big fat musicals that are not even grossing $365k. Try a little harder to be insightful.
Theatrefanboy1
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/2/15
#47Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 8:16pm
Well I can say as someone who only a couple years ago would make frequent trips into the city to spend a small fortune on shows. I agree completely with the assessment:
-I have no interest going to a show while masks and disclosure of medical information is in place
- No interest in going to a city with such a rise in crime and deterioration (and I say this as someone who for a decade was completely in love with the city
- My theatre friends have said before they have no interest in going until the “evening” atmosphere is back of stage door and no masks etc
- Also the flat fact in the price inflations has made it lesser if importance in life
this comes from myself being a theatre producer up North. I will say until the industry is willing to return in full. There will be a struggle
#48Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 8:18pm
I wish there was a way to find out how Garth is paying everyone at PSQ.
#49Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/1/22
Posted: 5/3/22 at 8:46pm
Interestingly enough, for many years, this week has seen a steep decline in Broadway attendance. This is a very "back to business" week. Spring break season ends, trimesters at colleges pick back up, parents attend graduations, families attend reunions, etc etc...spring is a time for making insular plans.
I expect we'll see a nice rebound over the Memorial Day weekend.
One thing I will say for New York; audiences (be they tourist or local) are seemingly unafraid to go to the theatre. I was looking at Ticketmaster seat maps for Chicago commercial productions/tours and it boggled me a bit.
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