Do Tony Nominations Deliver a Box Office Boost?

[carolynbrooks]

Posted: 5/13/22 at 1:44pm

I would have to say no. In a sample test of  available inventory for key shows on May 21 and May 28th that did not already have a strong trajectory, the result has been anemic. Prime example, Paradise Square, 10 nominations and 70% of the house is available for both Saturday evening  performances.           

Updated On: 5/13/22 at 01:44 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/13/22 at 1:51pm

The only BOSS office is Bruce Springsteen.

https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1152954

[lachri5]

Posted: 5/13/22 at 1:56pm

In the case of A Strange Loop, probably yes. I rushed this morning, and couldn't get a ticket. I thought it would be an easy rush. We were told it was almost sold out tonight. Has it ever sold out a night before?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/13/22 at 2:07pm

lachri5 said: "In the case of A Strange Loop, probably yes. I rushed this morning, and couldn't get a ticket. I thought it would be an easy rush. We were told it was almost sold out tonight. Has it ever sold out a night before?"

Huge difference between selling out of rush tickets vs full-priced tickets. Rush won't make or break a show.

On Telecharge, it does look like nearly all the seats are occupied for tonight, but there have also been reports of aggressive papering (comp tickets) by the production to fill it up while Tony voters and Road Conference people are in town this week.

Next week and the weeks that follow will paint a better picture of how it's actually selling.

[hollebolle]

Posted: 5/13/22 at 2:08pm

lachri5 said: "In the case of A Strange Loop, probably yes."

They also reduced at least some of their ticket prices immediately after nominations were announced. The tickets I bought last Sunday would have been $20 cheaper if I waited until Monday (which I purposefully did not want to do). And I bought balcony seats so that's a difference of almost 25%. 

 

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 5/13/22 at 2:11pm

I think the answer is that Tony nominations have never hurt a show at the box office. I'd wager every show that has received a Tony nomination that is still running has had at least one person buy a ticket because of the Tony nomination. But how many? That really depends. Something like A Strange Loop that was a bit of an unknown (to the general, non-regular theatregoing public I mean), seeing all those Tony noms will likely attract a decent amount of people who hadn't given the show a thought before. But something like Six that already had a huge fan base and is already well known probably won't see a huge difference (not that they need it).

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 5/13/22 at 2:34pm

Broadway61004 said: "I think the answer is that Tony nominations have never hurt a show at the box office."

Something like PARADISE SQUARE is hurt by its Tony noms. If this hadn't got a Best Musical nom, there's no question they would have posted closing this week. Its numbers are so low that even if it more than doubled, it would not break even per week. But now they have to engage in a charade of seeing if the nominations will help numbers substantially, and now they have to sink money they don't have into running longer and campaigning. Same situation with shows like BRIGHT STAR and LEAP OF FAITH and THE VISIT.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/13/22 at 2:50pm

They don't HAVE to do anything. It helps those working in/on the show by providing them with a few more weeks of paychecks.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 5/13/22 at 2:54pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "Broadway61004 said: "I think the answer is that Tony nominations have never hurt a show at the box office."

Something like PARADISE SQUAREishurt by its Tony noms. If this hadn't got a Best Musical nom, there's no question they would have posted closing this week. Its numbers are so low that even if it more than doubled, it would not break even per week. But now they have to engage in a charade of seeing if the nominations will help numbers substantially, and now they have to sink money they don't have into running longer and campaigning. Same situation with shows like BRIGHT STAR and LEAP OF FAITH and THE VISIT."

It doesn't hurt them at the box office though. I agree it may just delay the inevitable and end up costing the production more money, but speaking strictly in terms of box office, they almost assuredly sold more tickets this week than they would have had they gotten shut out of the Tony noms.

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/13/22 at 4:00pm

Broadway61004 said: "It doesn't hurt them at the box office though. I agree it may just delay the inevitable and end up costing the production more money, but speaking strictly in terms of box office, they almost assuredly sold more tickets this week than they would have had they gotten shut out of the Tony noms."

What you say is the absolute truth. As a producer, you want to sell every ticket you can, and nominations sell some number of tickets, even if that number is small. Good producers respect every sale. 

This reminds me of a time I was at a cocktail party and heard Gerry Schoenfeld sell two tickets to a failing show the Shuberts were producing to a man who didn't know what hit him. If I hadn't known better, I would have thought Gerry needed lunch money.