Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 6/24/18 — Page 2

I will be heading to NYC again in late July...never thought of "WAITRESS" as a possibility to see, but I think I may need to put this on my list..and SUMMER before it dances away.

With so many shows grossing over a million recently, I’ve been intrigued with what it actually means to be in the “million dollar club” these days. In years past, grossing a million automatically meant that a show was doing extremely well. Nowadays, does it carry that same weight?

I know gross potential is usually the most telling, but with ticket prices so high these days, it seems a show can be earning a good deal per week but still not be near earning their potential gross. I guess the larger question is has the spike in ticket prices reflected a rise in running/production costs or no? Obviously, this varies per show, but with ticket prices as high as they are now, it doesn’t seem like as many tickets need to be sold to make a million. Are shows needing to gross well over a million per week nowadays to make a profit?

Some examples from this week: Carousel making $1,106,814, but is only at 68.2% potential gross. Similarly, SpongeBob made a little over a million, but is at 71.5% of its potential gross.

GilmoreGirlO2 said: "With so many shows grossing over a million recently, I’ve been intrigued with what it actually means to be in the “million dollar club” these days. In years past, grossing a million automatically meant that a show was doing extremely well. Nowadays, does it carry that same weight?

I know gross potential is usually the most telling, but with ticket prices so high these days, it seems a show can be earning a good deal per week but still not be near earning their potential gross. I guess the larger question is has the spike in ticket prices reflected a rise in running/production costs or no? Obviously, this varies per show, but with ticket prices as high as they are now, it doesn’t seem like as many tickets need to be sold to make a million. Are shows needing to gross well over a million per week nowadays to make a profit?

Some examples from this week: Carousel making $1,106,814, but is only at 68.2% potential gross. Similarly, SpongeBob made a little over a million, but is at 71.5% of its potential gross."

Depends on what the weekly nut is. Spongebob requires a much larger cast and plays in a larger theater. Carousel has a smaller ensemble in a largish but not huge theatre. So 1 million for Carousel might be enough to cover weekly nut and then some but the same couldn't be said for Spongebob. Or it might be the reverse.

Miles2Go2 said: "Wick3 said: "Miles2Go2 said: "Well, my NYC trip is almost to an end. Currently eating my farewell meal at Buddakan. Trying not to cry into my dessert. My three favorite productions this trip were Angels in America (I seriously considered extending my trip just so I could do the Wednesday marathon again), Three Tall Women, and The Iceman Cometh.

Anyone know if these three shows (I’m aware now that TTW either recouped or it didn’t as it has closed) have a chance at recouping? Broadway needs vital theater such as these."

It's rare for plays to recoup compared to musicals. Even though people on this board may dislike certain producers, I'm grateful that there are producers (and investors) out there willing to take the risk to produce a Broadway play here in NYC despite the strong likelihood of losing money.

I hope they recoup as well. Ithink Three Tall Women would have definitely recouped hadits main stars were able to extend for the remainder of the summer."

Yes, I’m flying home today and am so grateful I got to see so many memorable plays. Even if they don’t recoup, they have had a similar effecton so many people. I’m so thankful for producers who invest in these plays with the knowledge that they may not recoup although I imagine they hoped they would. I imagine the producersthought Denzel would’ve been a bigger draw than he has. Anyone know if Denzel’s other plays recouped.

I imaginethat the Tony love for Three Tall Women and Angels in America helps to mitigate a bit the fact that the productions didn’t recoup."



I can't help thinking that even a great production of The Iceman Cometh is a tough slog for its audience. I would venture that, without a star of Denzel's magnitude (and there aren't many of those), the show wouldn't have sold half as many tickets (at least at full price) as it has. Given the limited engagement, lower recent grosses (though still over $800K, with an average weekly gross to date exceeding $900K after the first two performances) and huge cast, Iceman must be presenting an investment challenge for those hoping to get their money back. If the producers were hoping to breakeven or even make a small profit, I assume they were banking on Denzel commanding lots of premium tickets; but it is The iceman Cometh, not the more popular (with the public) Fences or Raisin in the Sun (or Julius Caesar).

This may be a little hyperbolic, but I think it may be impossible for a production of The Iceman Cometh to be financially viable as a 'for profit' venture. While a great play, it does not have the broad appeal of Long Day's Journey IMO.

I share your concern re these shows returning their investments; it will make it harder and harder for future productions, which can't be good. I love good musicals, but the ratio of musicals to plays on Broadway has grown too extreme in recent years. Without Roundabout and MTC -- both of which get periodically lambasted by posters here -- we would have even less!!

I just looked at Three Tall Women's grosses. Its first two weeks were not complete, 4 performances in the first, 7 in the second. Starting from Week 3, the show had an average gross of $873,000 per week for 15 weeks. If a show with a cast of 3 / 4 and a single (although beautiful) set can't return its investment with those grosses, I don't know how anything can. I have to assume that Angels will lose some portion of its investment, since its grosses must have been a disappointment to its producers even if it was done as a 'labor of love'.

I guess that is why the theatre has been referred to as 'the fabulous invalid' for as long as I can remember.

Miles, did you like Icemean? I saw it with Lane in Brooklyn and thought it was a chore to sit through, but thinking of giving it another shot.

Also would you recommend Boys? Thinking of getting a Stubhub ticket.

GilmoreGirlO2 said: "With so many shows grossing over a million recently, I’ve been intrigued with what it actually means to be in the “million dollar club” these days. In years past, grossing a million automatically meant that a show was doing extremely well. Nowadays, does it carry that same weight?

I know gross potential is usually the most telling, but with ticket prices so high these days, it seems a show can be earning a good deal per week but still not be near earning their potential gross. I guess the larger question is has the spike in ticket prices reflected a rise in running/production costs or no? Obviously, this varies per show, but with ticket prices as high as they are now, it doesn’t seem like as many tickets need to be sold to make a million. Are shows needing to gross well over a million per week nowadays to make a profit?

Some examples from this week: Carousel making $1,106,814, but is only at 68.2% potential gross. Similarly, SpongeBob made a little over a million, but is at 71.5% of its potential gross."

I agree it doesn’t mean the same thing it once did. Unless it’s a small show, it to me now signals a show that is just healthy and likely making money, but not necessarily loads. Some nuts are approaching 1 million these days. At least one show (Spider-Man) might have even been above it.

So, who do we think will take the Longacre after August?