Smallest broadway audience you've ever seen?

[Fiyero13]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 11:20am

Never saw a show that was less than half empty but I'm sure there has been some

[maya5892]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 11:24am

I saw the tour of Drowsy recently and the mezzanine was COMPLETELY empty, and orchestra was only about 3/4 full. It was really sad. I think that the venue was way too big for the show, however.

[thelastmidnight]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 11:25am

I saw Spring Awakening in previews and the mezzanine was almost empty except for half of the seats in the first two rows of center mezzanine. I'm not sure what the orchestra looked like, though.


Updated On: 6/13/08 at 11:25 AM

[DrMark]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 11:25am

"The Drowsey Chaperone" on Broadway last year was about 2/3 full.
"Legally Blonde" had quite a few empty seats the last time I saw it.
"Wicked" in Chicago was pretty sparse when I saw it last October.
Like you said, I don't think I've seen one less than 1/2 full.

[focusingonmoviesmatt]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 11:26am

Recently at glory days there was about 50 people in the theater.

[Okayfine]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 11:28am

The Michael Mayer production of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown". The producers kept stupidly changing the schedule to try to accommodate the audience they expected to get (or hoped they'd get!) They scheduled an 11:30 curtain on Saturdays & inexplicably scheduled the 1st one with almost no advance notice. There were 127 people in the Ambassador Theatre that morning. 127. Scary.

[kyleorlando]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 11:29am

I've never seen show in NY that wasn't almost sold out.

However, tours are a different story. The worst example was a the Jane Curtains/David Dukes tour of Love Letters in the early 90s. It was at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta which is a cavern, seating 4000+. There was probably less than five hundred in the audience scattered all over the place.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 11:39am

The Woman in White during the subway strike... seriously there must have been like maybe 300 people in the theatre.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 11:48am

I wasn't there, but my friend who saw PRYMATE said there were maybe 100 people in the audience...

[Fiyero13]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 11:54am

Drmark, i said half empty, not half full, yes i'm the pessimist :)

[TooDarnHot]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 11:56am

GLORY DAYS matinee preview audience.... it was awful.

[Mattbrain]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 11:56am

I was in the mezzanine for The Wedding Singer. I never felt so alone in my whole life.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 11:58am

Mary Poppins on Halloween.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 12:01pm

About 100 people (if even that many) for a Wednesday matinee of Eubie! 2/14/1979 and a rather small audience for a performance of Side Show I saw on Halloween 1997.

Updated On: 6/13/08 at 12:01 PM

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 12:01pm

Spring Awakening's third preview. Five people in the mezzanine, and about 5 rows filled in the orchestra.

[GoSmileLaughCryClap]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 12:10pm

A wednesday afternoon at the Into the Woods revival near the end of the run.

six or seven rows in the Orchestra were filled, and a smattering of people who came downstairs scattered around.

The audience seemed uncomfortable, and the cast couldn't get the rhythm going without feedback.

It really was brutal.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 12:13pm

Not Broadway, but I went to see FORBIDDEN PLANET in the West End and there were less than 25 people in the audience!
It was eerie.

[Weez]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 12:31pm

In the West End, 'Rent: Remixed' had a deservedly small audience the night I went. I'd say about a third full, but I couldn't be sure; didn't want to make eye contact with anyone else there! XP

[oohshizz146]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 12:33pm

maya, there were some people in the mezz that night, just not many, remember?

[maya5892]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 12:37pm

Yeah, like 2 people. Practically empty.

[Mamie]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 12:50pm

I'd like to hear from someone who saw The Blonde in the Thunderbird.

[Jon]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 1:37pm

I once saw that midget who played a lawyer on Ally McBeal and the doll on "Passions" at Kiss Me Kate...

Ohhh... I thought you said "smallest audience member..."

[musicaltheatrefan3]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 1:40pm

I've never seen a show that was not sold out, but I once did a performance of "Ragtime" for about 60 people.

[jewelchk]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 1:58pm

I saw Thoroughly Modern Millie during a snowstorm when Delta Burke and Sutton Foster were both out-- they were lucky if the theater was 1/3 full, but we got bumped to orchestra seats.

[winter_sky]

Posted: 6/13/08 at 2:04pm

RENT before Adam and Anthony came back last summer.
Cry Baby at it's 3rd preview.
Passing Strange's orchestra was only half full the first time I saw it.