Emptiest/Smallest Audiences at Broadway shows?

I saw War Horse two months before it closed and I was the only person in the mezzanine. The orchestra was like 65% full. Also, the mezzanine at Bridges of Madison County was pretty empty the five times I attended that beautiful show.

DAMN I MISS THEATER.

I went to (I think) the final Tuesday evening performance of Tuck Everlasting. I never had to wait in line for the restroom. A first!

A very snowy night at Bridges of Madison County.  It was JRB and just a few audience members. The mezzanine was closed and that theater was quiet - it felt like a funeral. He looked very disappointed.

Toward the end of Something Rotten!'s run they closed the balcony. Knowing this, my group bought balcony tickets on TodayTix and were moved to the front mezzanine (a great view in that theater) at discount balcony prices.

I saw Gary the Sequel..  close to the end of the run.   I had bought a cheap ticket and they moved us all up front.  I would say about 50% full.  

I don't know that anything will ever top Prymate, which back in 2004 at one point had 303 people attend in a week (that's an average of 37 people per performance--in a Broadway theatre).

By the nature of the production, the recent Oklahoma revival had very small, intimate audiences.  Unfortunately, having the house lights up means that people notice the empty seats more than usual.  I saw it in November and am still not sure if I saw it with a small audience or I just noticed the empty seats because of the house lights and the already-small capacity.

The Phantom of the Opera, two Saturdays after September 11th:

Everybody was saying that the long runners were going to close because tourists, especially international tourists, would not return to New York City. So I bought  a rear mezzanine ticket to Phantom, bracing myself for seeing my beloved show one final time. A few minutes before curtain, the ushers told everyone in the rear mezz and front mezz to come downstairs. The jammed us into the first 7 rows of the front orchestra. When I turned around and saw the theater essentially empty and the ushers talking about how this is how it is at every performance, I got choked up and realized that the rumors were true and long runners like Phantom would never survive small audiences like that for long. Little did I know that by 2003, ALW and CM did strongly consider closing Phantom but luckily grosses bounced back. 

 

Avenue Q, the first night back after the IATSE strike, December 2007

When they announced the strike was over, I was so happy I knew I had to see a show that night, so I raced to Times Sq and got tickets to Avenue Q. Word had apparently not gotten out yet because the mezz looked almost empty and the orchestra was at most 30-40% full. 

Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune, summer 2019

This was was generally unpopular, and the performance I went to was no exception. I was in the front mezz and the ushers told everyone to sit wherever they wanted and to spread out. There was maybe ten people at most in the mezz. The weird part was two women sat right behind me even though there were acres of empty seats and they gave a running commentary of the play. Normally that would have angered me but they were actually witty and shady so I somehow enjoyed their rudeness. 

dearalanaaaa said: "I wasn't there, but before the system glitch the audience for Getting the band Back together must have been empty. The mezzanine always had available tickets! And the orchestra didn't seem too packed either online."

I went to closing through TDF and ended up getting 4th row center orchestra. Not many people around me.

blaxx said: "A very snowy night at Bridges of Madison County. It was JRB and just a few audience members. ... He looked very disappointed."

This legit made me sad.