Broadway Grosses: Week Ending March 27, 2022

Paradise Square under $50 average ticket price. I get that it's previews, but damn...That is rough

Is there a reason why BWW isn’t doing a weekly post via Rob like they did pre-pandemic?

OhHiii said: "Bigserver1 said: "Paradise Square under $50 average ticket price. I get that it's previews, but damn...That is rough"

All that paper will bring that ATP down VERY quickly."

You know what I find interesting? I wonder if PARADISE SQUARE is fudging some of the numbers so their attendance numbers appear higher.

The report today says they "sold" 7,287 of a possible 7,848 tickets. That breaks down to 981 people per performance.

But the Barrymore has a capacity of 1,058 seats - sure enough, that's how many tickets were available each night when WAITRESS played the same theatre just a few months ago.

So did the PARADISE SQUARE team just remove 80 seats from the house? While that's totally possible, I wouldn't be surprised if they intentionally aren't selling a section of seats so they can claim the house capacity is lower....therefore inflating the reported attendance.

The show claims 92.8% of the house was full last week. But selling 7,287 tickets (yes, even counting the comp'd ones) over eight shows in a 1,058 seat theatre is actually only 86% full. That's a big difference.

Side note: $47 average ticket price is unquestionably being lowered due to how many free (or heavily discounted) tickets have been given out to build word-of-mouth. And it doesn't seem to be working.

Lumiere2 said: "Side note: $47 average ticket price is unquestionably being lowered due to how many free (or heavily discounted) tickets have been given out to build word-of-mouth. And it doesn't seem to be working.”

Papering at this level isn’t a word of mouth strategy, it’s an optics strategy and to avoid the actors from performing to empty houses. When word gets out a show is papering THIS much THIS early, it’s a nail in the coffin. Once the papering pool is depleted, capacity will plummet.

dramamama611 said: "Paradise Square is using the Orchestra pit which would remove several rows of seats, Waitress did not as the band was onstage. That could easily account for 80 seats."

Side note -- I was pleasantly surprised to see an open pit at PARADISE SQUARE, something that is kind of rare on Bway these days. From the front mezz, you can see most of the orchestra members (including a harp) playing below and seemingly a little higher-up than usual.

These numbers don't look too great for Come From Away or Dear Evan Hansen. How long do you guys see these shows sticking around?

BwayFan252 said: "These numbers don't look too great for Come From Away or Dear Evan Hansen. How long do you guys see these shows sticking around?"

Hard to say. Both shows have low costs so I could see them trying to stick it out and if it gets better. CFA was doing good business before the pandemic - not hamilton levels, but good.

DEH may wait and see if everyone forgets the movie and whether their brand is permanently damaged by it or not. We'll see. Lots of shows have survived bad movie adaptions.

BwayFan252 said: "These numbers don't look too great for Come From Away or Dear Evan Hansen. How long do you guys see these shows sticking around?"

I hope CFA can hang around until at least mid-June so it can break the house record for most performances at the Schoenfeld/Plymouth (currently held by Jeckyll and Hyde).

Phantom4ever said: "Ermengarde, you think there is a chance that Phantom will end its 34 year run this summer?"

I would never bet money on Phantom or Chicago! But Phantom appears to be in "treading water" territory right now, and Chicago is def losing money. Both shows have so much money in the bank and unique arrangements with the Shuberts that we can't really speculate when they would close.

Sutton Ross said: "Shiiiiii I hope Paradise Square lasts until May when I'm seeing it. Not a great start but possible good word of mouth might keep it alive throughout the Summer."

I have tickets in June and was thinking the same thing

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Phantom4ever said: "Ermengarde, you think there is a chance that Phantom will end its 34 year run this summer?"

I would never bet money on Phantom or Chicago! But Phantom appears to be in "treading water" territory right now, and Chicago is def losing money. Both shows have so much money in the bank and unique arrangements with the Shuberts that we can't really speculate when they would close."

What metric are you using to define "treading water"? Shubert arrangements aside, I assure you at $800K+, Phantom is just fine and turning a couple hundred thousand profit lol. Chicago at over $500K without currently paying a "celebrity" salary isn't losing money either.

Pamela Anderson is playing 8 weeks. Chicago will be back in the $500Ks after that without a bona fide star (or maybe even with Anderson –– I don't know what kind of draw she'll be for full-price ticketbuyers, especially if her performance isn't stellar). Not knowing exact figures, I have to assume Chicago costs north of $600K per week to run, with Phantom north of $750K.

Like I said, I wouldn't bet money on Chicago and Phantom going anywhere (and if I did, I'd bet Chicago before Phantom). But if the longrunning tourist shows continue to struggle to find an audience in this new world, then it might be time to call it quits. When Phantom eventually announces –– which might be after we're all dead –– they could give 8 months notice and probably see a rise in sales, with people wanting to see it one final time.