Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
#1Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 3:23pm
Click below to access all the grosses from all the shows for the week ending 8/17/2008 in BroadwayWorld.com'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.
#2re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 3:28pm
Boo for [tos] 
broadwayjim42
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/19/03
#2re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 3:28pmIn the words of Juno, f...ity f...
BroadwayBen
Broadway Star Joined: 6/5/03
#3re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 3:29pmWhy is GYPSY at only 72%? TOS not really picking up. Whoopi continues to help XAN. PHANTOM's numbers continue to amaze me.
#4re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 3:37pmWow! how is [tos] still surviving? This is crazy. I really hope things start picking up for those guys.
CurtainPullDowner
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/4/04
#5re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 3:43pm
"Why is GYPSY at only 72%?"
I hear Patti is making fans cry at the Stage Door.
englishtoser
Swing Joined: 8/18/08
#6re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 3:48pm
In retrospect, [tos] really could have done with hanging on for a smaller theatre. People are sounding the death knell 'cause they're hitting below 50% capacity, but had they been pulling the same number of bodies through the door at the Helen Hayes, say, they'd have posted 76% this week, which most people would be saying is not too bad for a non-conventional non-big brand show. I think where they're really gonna do well is if they do a regional tour. I'm amazed how many of the fans on their web pages have been saying "please come to the Florida", "please come to Chicago", etc. I was thinking of saying "go see them on Broadway, you moaners, I flew out from London (my first visit to NYC let alone B'Way) just to see them" - THEN I realised most of their web fans are really young, teenage drama student types who can't spring for flights or a hotel etc. A tour playing just a few nights in each city would work well I think - taking the show to their internet fan club. I also wouldn't be surprised to see a movie based on the whole [tos] story - it's your typical Hollywood feelgood movie (but end the movie on Opening Night and don't mention the grosses!). As a huge [tos] fan, I have to be realistic and say I don't see it lasting into October. I half suspect American Buffalo (previews from Halloween, no theatre yet announced) has already been offered the Lyceum
Updated On: 8/18/08 at 03:48 PM
#7re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 4:01pmYay, Xanadu! It makes me happy.
LePetiteFromage
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/08
#9re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 4:12pmAnd the undeserving Grease keeps right on truckin'...
#10re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 4:16pm
Most of the money to be made for the TOS show team is going to come from regional licensing - and when every college and rep company in the country starts doing it. I don't think a tour would be financially viable, though I could certainly see the original cast/creative team opening it in Los Angeles or Chicago.
#11re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 4:17pmIsn't most of the charm of [tos] that the people who wrote it are starring? I can't see any college/rep companies doing it.
LePetiteFromage
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/08
#13re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 4:21pm
Isn't most of the charm of [tos] that the people who wrote it are starring? I can't see any college/rep companies doing it.
My thoughts exactly. SPOILER----------------------------
The major plot point of the second half is how they couldn't replace one of the actors and have it still be the same show...
#14re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 4:28pm
That doesn't change the fact that [tos} is actually a strong book musical. They don't rewrite it when an understudy goes on. It doesn't need the original writer/stars to succeed any more than the Laramie Project did.
Rodgers and Hammerstein already owns the licensing for it.
http://rnh.com/show_detail.asp?id=TO&s=1
#15re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 4:29pmI would be *shocked* if they even got a Best Book or Best Score nomination.
#16re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 4:31pmI'd be shocked if they didn't. Given the industry love the show and the other musicals scheduled to open on Broadway this year...
#17re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 4:31pm
More sadness for [tos], but they said on their blog they weren't "going anywhere" sooo...
Still wondering how long Mama Mia is going to stay on top.
#18re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 4:38pmAnd actually, I don't think the point of Act 2, is that they couldn't replace one of the actors and have it be the same show, but that it would compromise the artistic integrity to replace one of them with some type of 'name' to make the piece more commercially viable.
#19re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 4:50pm
Yay for Xanadu! 
philly03
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/20/07
#20re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 5:39pmYay for PHANTOM OF THE OPERA! Still doing extremely well. Almost as good (money wise) as In the Heights, even though it sold more seats/capicity!
Lynnespock2
Broadway Star Joined: 5/14/04
#21re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 5:48pm
Keep on truckin' mama, truckin' all your blues away! Go Grease, sorry for you Glinda. I get so tired of Grease being knocked.
Thank you LePetiteFromage.
BrianS
Broadway Star Joined: 10/8/07
#22re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 6:36pm
I think they put TOS in the Lyceum even though it's not the smallest theater because nobody wants the Lyceum which means that a) they get a better deal on the rent and b) there is less pressure for a theater owner to push them out to get a more lucrative show in. While the Booth and the Cort are smaller, their location puts them in more demand for the few plays that make it to bway.
side note... I can't figure out if it's an in-joke by the producers of TOS to have a $200 top ticket price. A comment on the industry or just stupidity?
#23re: Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/17
Posted: 8/18/08 at 7:28pmThe $200 top ticket price is for premium seats. All Broadway shows now offer premium seats above the usual $111 price now. Most premium seats range from $125(South Pacific) to $350(Jersey Boys, Billy Elliot, Young Frankenstein).
LePetiteFromage
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/19/08
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