Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 5/5/19

[Rob]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 3:09pm

Click below to access all the Broadway grosses from all the shows for the week ending 5/5/2019 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 was: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (8.6%), WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME (2.2%), GARY: A SEQUEL TO TITUS ANDRONICUS (1.3%), HADESTOWN (0.2%),

Down for the week by attendance was: BE MORE CHILL (-21.7%), KING KONG (-18.6%), BEETLEJUICE (-15.9%), PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL (-15.4%), FROZEN (-13.1%), HILLARY AND CLINTON (-11.2%), MEAN GIRLS (-10.6%), MY FAIR LADY (-10.1%), THE PROM (-9.9%), BEAUTIFUL (-9.3%), ALL MY SONS (-9.2%), KING LEAR (-7.7%), THE CHER SHOW (-5.8%), TOOTSIE (-4.6%), BURN THIS (-4.4%), WAITRESS (-3.4%), KISS ME, KATE (-3%), INK (-2.3%), WICKED (-1.8%), THE FERRYMAN (-1.7%), OKLAHOMA! (-1.6%), DEAR EVAN HANSEN (-1.2%), AIN'T TOO PROUD (-1.1%), THE BOOK OF MORMON (-0.8%), COME FROM AWAY (-0.7%), ALADDIN (-0.6%), TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (-0.3%), THE LION KING (-0.2%),

Click Here to Visit the BroadwayWorld Grosses...

[goldenstate5]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 3:15pm

Well I'll be the first to say it: that's legitimately terrible for Be More Chill. The Tonys snub hurt like hell clearly. The good news, if there's any, is that this is the first week that it's ever gone under its operating budget. However there's not many of those that the producers will like to eat. If it keeps producing numbers like this it'll be lucky to make it out alive from the summer but I still think that summer crowd will bounce back sales.

And of course, how King Kong continues to operate is a puzzler.

Beetlejuice is doing... okay for what it is. But it has to cost a fortune to run so I imagine 60% potential is not what the producers are looking for.

[BritCrit]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 3:16pm

Some pretty big drops all round, with the medium term musicals (Frozen, Mean Girls, Pretty Woman, My Fair Lady, Pretty Woman and The Prom) all having very bad weeks. Frozen was even outgrossed by Tootsie - amusing for Santino Fontana stans, less amusing for Disney...

 

Be More Chill and Beetlejuice had terrible weeks, but Hadestown seems to have gained quite a bit from the Tony nominations...

[Kitsune]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 3:21pm

I realize this is the week after spring break for many schools, but that's quite a drop for many shows.

Was the weather really bad or something?

Also: I wonder how long it takes for the ripple effects of things like Tony nominations to come into play. Maybe it's because I'm from out of town, but I just about always buy my tickets weeks in advance, if not more.

Updated On: 5/6/19 at 03:21 PM

[dearalanaaaa]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 3:22pm

Good job Constitution and Hadestown!

Be More Chill... oh god, I wasn't cheering for their downfall, but the lack of noms really hurt them. Might this mean they pack it up by Thanksgiving? It's losing steam as it runs out of teens to get through the door and hype it had. Tony's might be a make or break night for them.

[raddersons]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 3:23pm

The drop happens almost every year. I wonder why the end of April just doesn't sell well.

The only shows which really shined through this week are all from this season. It makes me pretty happy to see that people are drawn to new work.

[Emmaloucbway]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 3:39pm

Good week for Hadestown and Tootsie after all their nominations!

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 3:56pm

That Spring Break nosedive for BE MORE CHILL...

[Maybeel]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 4:04pm

I am surprised to see the Be More Chill numbers. I was there Saturday night and only thought there were about 5 empty seats. Perhaps the weekday shows are much less popular. (Some of my group was in the balcony, and some were in orchestra, so I got a good overall sense of how the whole theater looked.)

[gypsy.rose.blanchard]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 4:08pm

BritCrit said: "Some pretty big drops all round, with the medium term musicals (Frozen, Mean Girls, Pretty Woman, My Fair Lady, Pretty Woman and The Prom) all having very bad weeks. Frozen was even outgrossed by Tootsie - amusing for Santino Fontana stans, less amusing for Disney...
 

I have never laughed harder in my life. Wonder what Thomas must be thinking tonight.

[Brit33444]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 4:14pm

Damn has this been mean girls’ worst week?

[LuPita2]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 4:15pm

Be More Chill just has to hold out one more month until all the school children can be there every single day!

[BritCrit]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 4:37pm

gypsy.rose.blanchard said: "Wonder what Thomas must be thinking tonight."

It's hard to tell. All the "medium run" musicals (i.e the ones which opened in 2018) had a bad week this week, and Frozen's performance as at least in line with its weekly potential. However, it is hard to disagree with the fact that Frozen has been quite underwhelming considering that the film is so recent and iconic. Disney were expecting it to match The Lion King, but whereas The Lion King did something creative and engaging, Frozen played it safe and is paying the price. Given Frozen's status as one of the biggest feminist hits of the last decade, Disney must be annoyed to see it is making less money than a jukebox musical devoted to a Motown act and an update of a problematic comedy from the early 1980s...

Frozen has already outlasted Tarzan, and I expect it to still be going by the time Frozen 2 comes out. However, making it to 1000 performances will probably be more difficult than initially forecast. If it fails to reach that goal, than it will be seen as a major flop...

[ACL2006]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 4:58pm

King Kong needs to close. It's bleeding money. The Prom must be holding out that all those nominations turn into a few wins, otherwise it can't last past Labor Day. Be More Chill will do well over the summer, but can't see it lasting much longer.

[Andres_123]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 5:26pm

Happy Hadestowen is doing so well I hope they win Best Musical, Sad for Be More Chill but I think the summer will help a lot and will be able to get them through the fall. I predict it will close in early January as this season has taught us no matter how bad a show is doing( King Kong, Head over Heels) producers will still keep them open. 

[zainmax]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 5:56pm

BritCrit said: "gypsy.rose.blanchard said: "Wonder what Thomas must be thinking tonight."

It's hard to tell. All the "medium run" musicals (i.e the ones which opened in 2018) had a bad week this week, and Frozen's performance as at least in line with its weekly potential. However, it is hard to disagree with the fact that Frozen has been quite underwhelming considering that the film is so recent and iconic. Disney were expecting it to match The Lion King, but whereas The Lion King did something creative and engaging, Frozen played it safe and is paying the price. Given Frozen's status as one of the biggest feminist hits of the last decade, Disney must be annoyed to see it is making less money than a jukebox musical devoted to a Motown act and an update of a problematic comedy from the early 1980s...

Frozen has already outlasted Tarzan, and I expect it to still be going by the time Frozen 2 comes out. However, making it to 1000 performances will probably be more difficult than initially forecast. If it fails to reach that goal, than it will be seen as a major flop..."

Agreed, but did Disney really think that it would be like Lion King?

[TFMH18]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 6:01pm

What the Constitution Means to Me is making more money than Be More Chill (and no I do not mean more profit). Let that sink in.

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 6:25pm

I noticed that "Chicago" is not listed in the Up For The Week / Down For The Week section.  

[BritCrit]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 6:25pm

zainmax said: "BritCrit said: "gypsy.rose.blanchard said: "Wonder what Thomas must be thinking tonight."

It's hard to tell. All the "medium run" musicals (i.e the ones which opened in 2018) had a bad week this week, and Frozen's performance as at least in line with its weekly potential. However, it is hard to disagree with the fact that Frozen has been quite underwhelming considering that the film is so recent and iconic. Disney were expecting it to match The Lion King, but whereas The Lion King did something creative and engaging, Frozen played it safe and is paying the price. Given Frozen's status as one of the biggest feminist hits of the last decade, Disney must be annoyed to see it is making less money than a jukebox musical devoted to a Motown act and an update of a problematic comedy from the early 1980s...

Frozen has already outlasted Tarzan, and I expect it to still be going by the time Frozen 2 comes out. However, making it to 1000 performances will probably be more difficult than initially forecast. If it fails to reach that goal, than it will be seen as a major flop..."

Agreed, but did Disney really think that it would be like Lion King?"

I would say that Disney definitely wanted Frozen to be a bigger hit than it is now. The film outgrossed The Lion King, after all. However, The Lion King is probably the better of the two original films, and without a more visionary approach, the Broadway version of Frozen was bound to lose steam sooner rather than later. Furthermore, the original Frozen was not expected to be a megahit, but it seemed so fresh and spontaneous when it came out that people were willing to overlook its flaws and flock to the cinema. The stage version does not have this luxury, and was always fated to seem like a more calculated (and thus less appealing) project...

[zainmax]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 7:33pm

BritCrit said: "zainmax said: "BritCrit said: "gypsy.rose.blanchard said: "Wonder what Thomas must be thinking tonight."

It's hard to tell. All the "medium run" musicals (i.e the ones which opened in 2018) had a bad week this week, and Frozen's performance as at least in line with its weekly potential. However, it is hard to disagree with the fact that Frozen has been quite underwhelming considering that the film is so recent and iconic. Disney were expecting it to match The Lion King, but whereas The Lion King did something creative and engaging, Frozen played it safe and is paying the price. Given Frozen's status as one of the biggest feminist hits of the last decade, Disney must be annoyed to see it is making less money than a jukebox musical devoted to a Motown act and an update of a problematic comedy from the early 1980s...

Frozen has already outlasted Tarzan, and I expect it to still be going by the time Frozen 2 comes out. However, making it to 1000 performances will probably be more difficult than initially forecast. If it fails to reach that goal, than it will be seen as a major flop..."

Agreed, but did Disney really think that it would be like Lion King?"

I would say that Disney definitely wanted Frozen to be a bigger hit than it is now. The film outgrossed The Lion King, after all. However, The Lion King is probably the better of the two original films, and without a more visionary approach, the Broadway version of Frozen was bound to lose steam sooner rather than later. Furthermore, the original Frozen was not expected to be a megahit, but it seemed so fresh and spontaneous when it came out that people were willing to overlook its flaws and flock to the cinema. The stage version does not have this luxury, and was always fated to seem like a more calculated (and thus less appealing) project..."

Agreed 100%

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 7:48pm

Emmaloucbway said: "Good week for Hadestown and Tootsie after all their nominations!"

And Aint Too Proud, though that is a continuation of the prior week.

 

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 5/6/19 at 7:51pm

Patti LuPone FANatic said: "I noticed that "Chicago" is not listed in the Up For The Week / Down For The Week section."

They didn't have a change in attendance.

[bear88]

Posted: 5/7/19 at 2:26am

It seems like there may be three legitimate hit musicals this spring. Ain't Too Proud is basically selling out, and has been doing that for a few weeks now. The Hadestown producers picked their theater well. With a limit on supply, the musical doesn't need to draw many people to pack the house - and the impact of the increased prices is starting to kick in. Tootsie is drawing a lot of people, and while it's not selling out, the trend seems positive - and the show is drawing as many paying customers as Ain't Too Proud and a lot more than Hadestown - but at lower prices.

Issues for these shows...

- Doesn't Hadestown need to win the Tony for Best Musical to sustain its momentum? It's the artsy show without an obvious tourist draw. The good reviews (with a few notable exceptions) and Tony nominations are great, but without the big prize, doesn't the buzz fade and prices fall?

- Can Ain't Too Proud beat the biomusical curse? This is only show of the three I've actually seen, albeit out of town, and I did predict it would run a couple of years because it is well performed and choreographed, and has an awfully good score. (Lucky guess.) But in recent years, jukebox musicals have started strong, then faded quickly. I think this one does better, if for no other reason than it's a great draw for people who grew up or know Temptations music. It should do well this summer, but what happens in the fall?

- Tootsie isn't the event musical of the year thus far. (The event shows are plays.) I was glancing a few days ahead, when I will be in New York. Lots of seats available, albeit in a large theater by New York standards. But it has received favorable reviews, a bunch of Tony nominations, is based on a famous film, and is getting credit for being a professional and funny show - basically an enjoyable night out.  Even without a Tony win, I can easily see this one having staying power. But it's too early to tell.

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 5/7/19 at 5:38am

I have to say that although I wouldn’t want anyone out of a job, it’s good to see that Frozen’s numbers aren’t what Disney would want. Maybe they’ll realize that they need to raise their game. When people are paying lots of money, they expect a certain standard. I brought 40 students who paid around $90 each to sit in Guam (because heaven forbid Disney offers an affordable student rate) and even they were disappointed.

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 5/7/19 at 7:17am

I don’t know why people think Frozen had a bad week. It sold 94% of its potential gross. And it grossed over a million bucks. Most shows would kill to have such a “bad” week. It’s clearly not The Lion King at the box office, but it’s doing quite well. I haven’t seen Frozen and have no plans to on Broadway. It’s coming as an add-on to our local 20/21 season. Perhaps I’ll catch it then. A show can lack originality and still be a box office success. As much as we’d like it not to be so, it happens all the time.