Broadway Grosses: Week Ending 8/19/18

[Rob]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:06pm

Click below to access all the Broadway grosses from all the shows for the week ending 8/19/2018 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: MY FAIR LADY (2.2%), CHICAGO (1.7%), PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL (0.9%), SUMMER (0.7%), WICKED (0.3%), HELLO, DOLLY! (0.2%),

Down for the week by attendance was: GETTIN' THE BAND BACK TOGETHER (-30.4%), ONCE ON THIS ISLAND (-9.0%), SCHOOL OF ROCK (-6.8%), HEAD OVER HEELS (-6.0%), KINKY BOOTS (-5.0%), THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (-4.7%), THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG (-4.6%), ANASTASIA (-4.4%), BEAUTIFUL (-3.4%), CAROUSEL (-2.5%), SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS (-1.6%), WAITRESS (-1.4%), ALADDIN (-1.4%), THE BAND'S VISIT (-1.2%), FROZEN (-0.9%), STRAIGHT WHITE MEN (-0.6%), COME FROM AWAY (-0.4%), SPRINGSTEEN ON BROADWAY (-0.2%), THE BOOK OF MORMON (-0.1%),

Click Here to Visit the BroadwayWorld Grosses...

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:09pm

GTBBT & HOH. Ouch!

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:09pm

That GTBBT number is jaw-dropping. What a joke.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:13pm

Closing announcements in t minus 3.... 2.... 1....

Updated On: 8/20/18 at 03:13 PM

[Patti LuPone FANatic]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:15pm

So few shows showed an increase from the previous week.  "Yay Chicago".  

[quizking101]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:16pm

SUMMER is starting to fade quite a bit as well, though I know both LaChanze and Ariana were each out for at least one show last week. (Idk if that had any impact).

I feel bad for HOH, but for GTBBT, when was the last time there was such a precipitous one week capacity drop for a show that was over 30%?

[elizabeef]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:17pm

So the last few weeks The Band’s Visit has been slowly declining their gross potential and I’ve been wondering why. This week they are at 91% and I’m just interested how they decline over 10% in the last month? Is it because we are past the initial block of tickets? I’m not saying 91% is bad by any means compared to others but does anyone have some insight on this decline?

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:18pm

I know people were predicting that GTBBT and HOH would close by Labor Day. Do people still think that’s possible considering that’s only 2 weeks away? Don’t most shows these days give more than 2 weeks notice even if they’re hemmoraging money?

[quizking101]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:21pm

elizabeef said: "
So the last few weeks The Band’s Visit has been slowly declining their gross potential and I’ve been wondering why. This week they are at 91% and I’m just interested how they decline over 10% in the last month? Is it because we are past the initial block of tickets? I’m not saying 91% is bad by any means compared to others but does anyone have some insight on this decline?"

I think a big part of it is that they didn’t really jack their prices through the roof after the Tonys despite taking home one of the highest award counts in history. Which is actually a good thing because it makes this relatively small show accessible. It’s this years FUN HOME

 

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:23pm

elizabeef said: "
So the last few weeks The Band’s Visit has been slowly declining their gross potential and I’ve been wondering why. This week they are at 91% and I’m just interested how they decline over 10% in the last month? Is it because we are past the initial block of tickets? I’m not saying 91% is bad by any means compared to others but does anyone have some insight on this decline?"

i love The Band’s Visit, but it was never going to be the juggernaut that Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen (which I also love) were. It’s too quiet and intimate a show to be quite that. I still see it playing for 18 months to 2 years longer (I’m hoping for longer). I think it’ll have a similar trajectory as Fun Home. 

 

[Sauja]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:26pm

Miles2Go2 said: "I know people were predicting that GTBBT and HOH would close by Labor Day. Do people still think that’s possible considering that’s only 2 weeks away? Don’t most shows these days give more than 2 weeks notice even if they’re hemmoraging money?"

To actually add more to add onto this question: I was under the impression that shows now had to give their cast two weeks' notice of closing because of a rule with...Actors Equity maybe? Say, hypothetically, GETTIN THE BAND made the call to close today. Would they have to run through this week and next? Or am I completely making this rule up? 

[BroadwayBear2]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:28pm

I physically wince every time these numbers get published, as I glance at HOH.....

[Kitsune]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:31pm

quizking101 said: "elizabeef said: "
So the last few weeks The Band’s Visit has been slowly declining their gross potential and I’ve been wondering why. This week they are at 91% and I’m just interested how they decline over 10% in the last month? Is it because we are past the initial block of tickets? I’m not saying 91% is bad by any means compared to others but does anyone have some insight on this decline?"

I think a big part of it is that they didn’t really jack their prices through the roof after the Tonys despite taking home one of the highest award counts in history. Which is actually a good thing because it makes this relatively small show accessible. It’s this years FUN HOME

"

Question - how is gross potential determined? I know that the price of premium seats can fluctuate, but I always thought the gross potential was relatively fixed. Can it changed week to week based on how many seats are sold as premium?

[SomethingPeculiar]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:34pm

Shows are required to give one performance-week notice, I believe. So, if they were closing Sunday, Band would have to notify the cast before 8pm tonight, and HOH would have to notify the cast before 7:30pm tomorrow. If they're going to close Labor Day, they'd be smart to announce as soon as possible to capitalize on a final push for ticket sales.

(Worth noting that Gettin' the Band and Pretty Women had comped opening nights this week. But that probably only accounted for about $25K of Band's $118K drop... At least Ken won't have to make his curtain speech much more, so he'll have some free evenings to figure out how to salvage OOTI.)

[musikman]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:35pm

Kitsune said: "quizking101 said: "elizabeef said: "
So the last few weeks The Band’s Visit has been slowly declining their gross potential and I’ve been wondering why. This week they are at 91% and I’m just interested how they decline over 10% in the last month? Is it because we are past the initial block of tickets? I’m not saying 91% is bad by any means compared to others but does anyone have some insight on this decline?"

I think a big part of it is that they didn’t really jack their prices through the roof after the Tonys despite taking home one of the highest award counts in history. Which is actually a good thing because it makes this relatively small show accessible. It’s this years FUN HOME

"

Question - how is gross potential determined? I know that the price of premium seats can fluctuate, but I always thought the gross potential was relatively fixed. Can it changed week to week based on how many seats are sold as premium?"

If you sell every seat in the theatre at its respective full price, that’s your gross potential   Premiums are not included in that, which is why you see shows making over 100% of their gross potential   

 

[bdn223]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:36pm

Sauja said: "Miles2Go2 said: "I know people were predicting that GTBBT and HOH would close by Labor Day. Do people still think that’s possible considering that’s only 2 weeks away? Don’t most shows these days give more than 2 weeks notice even if they’re hemmoraging money?"

To actually add more to add onto this question: I was under the impression that shows now had to give their cast two weeks' notice of closing because of a rule with...Actors Equity maybe?Say, hypothetically, GETTIN THE BAND made the call to close today. Would they have to run through this week and next? Or am I completely making this rule up?"

 

I don't think you have to inform them necessarily but you do have to pay them for 2 weeks of performances post closing announcement. So it might be cheaper for a producers of a show  that is bleeding money to pay the cast and crew for a week's worth of performances rather then having them perform and loose more money by still having to pay rent, electricity, and other costs that are only incurred if a performance goes on.  

 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:36pm

Sauja said: "To actually add more to add onto this question: I was under the impression that shows now had to give their cast two weeks' notice of closing because of a rule with...Actors Equity maybe?Say, hypothetically, GETTIN THE BAND made the call to close today. Would they have to run through this week and next? Or am I completely making this rule up?"

They can close whenever they want --- but they'd still have to pay the actors for 2 more weeks.The 2-week bond is actually already being held by AEA in escrow. 

[Miles2Go2]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:38pm

Kitsune said: "quizking101 said: "elizabeef said: "
So the last few weeks The Band’s Visit has been slowly declining their gross potential and I’ve been wondering why. This week they are at 91% and I’m just interested how they decline over 10% in the last month? Is it because we are past the initial block of tickets? I’m not saying 91% is bad by any means compared to others but does anyone have some insight on this decline?"

I think a big part of it is that they didn’t really jack their prices through the roof after the Tonys despite taking home one of the highest award counts in history. Which is actually a good thing because it makes this relatively small show accessible. It’s this years FUN HOME

"

Question - how is gross potential determined? I know that the price of premium seats can fluctuate, but I always thought the gross potential was relatively fixed. Can it changed week to week based on how many seats are sold as premium?"

My understanding is if a seat was marked as premium initially then sold as less than that, the initial premium ticket price is what is considered when factoring premiums. 

Update: Oops! I appear to be wrong. See above. Thanks, musikman! 

Updated On: 8/20/18 at 03:38 PM

[Sauja]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 3:56pm

Thanks for the explanation on the 2 weeks, everyone! So it would seem like, unless they're operating at a loss greater than what they'd have to pay out to the cast, most shows would likely let the last two weeks run out. And with grosses as low as they are, we seem awfully close to seeing some shows closing very, very soon unless the producers have incredibly deep pockets and unreasonably high reserves of optimism.

[EthelMae]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 4:15pm

Someone over at the Talkin' Broadway board just posted: "GTBBT, average ticket price, $36. I once paid more for a hamburger".

Updated On: 8/20/18 at 04:15 PM

[quizking101]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 4:18pm

I feel like the current soft closing date for HEAD OVER HEELS is September 9th, based on the fact that TodayTix isn't selling past that date. (Though the Hudson website, quite ballsy, is selling until mid-February 2019).

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 4:20pm

It's insane how much CAROUSEL has taken a nosedive. 

[ArtMan]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 4:57pm

Well, from a selfish perspective, I hope Head Over Heels and Getting The Band Back Together, stay open till at least September 2.  That's when I'm planning to see them.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 5:05pm

What must it feel like to look in the audience and see a third full (assuming that weekends are more full than mid-week shows?) 

Those poor, poor actors - how hard must it be to put on the brave face to go to work. Put them out of their misery already!

 

Art man -- I can't see you have anything to worry about, as I can't see them closing before Labor Day!

[haterobics]

Posted: 8/20/18 at 5:19pm

quizking101 said: "(Though the Hudson website, quite ballsy, is selling until mid-February 2019)."

Pretty low bar for ballsy. If they close before then, they just refund the money? If they just added a new block of tickets, then sure... but that's the same block that has always been available, no?