Broadway Show Ticket Sales Analysis w/e 09/18/2016

An Excellent Box Office Week On Broadway

In the week ending September 18, 2016, the fall season is beginning and the numbers are showing great promise. Of the 24 shows currently running, every single show experienced an increase in ticket sales. Overall, the 24 shows brought in a collective gross of $22,174,854, which is an increase of $2,541,890 from the week before. The average gross per show was $923,952, which is up from last week’s per show average of $892,407.

Overall, the industry reached 71.39% of its gross potential, and the average paid admission was $100.10. Of the shows that were running both this past week and the week prior, the biggest increase was seen by On Your Feet! which went up by $162,120 to reach a weekly gross of $925,136. It is difficult to explain this increase, unless it benefitted because Lewis Black’s new show – Black to the Future – began performances this past week in the same theatre, the Marquis Theatre, on Monday night when On Your Feet! is dark.

Big Increase For "Jersey Boys"

It is possible that some of those patrons who enjoyed Lewis Black’s show decided to purchase a ticket to return to the Marquis later that week. The next biggest increase was seen by Jersey Boys, which went up by $154,069 to reach a weekly gross of $748,054. This long-running hit recently announced that it will close on January 15, 2017, and it is possible that word of mouth increased this past week for that reason, leading to a short-term increase in ticket sales.

Interestingly, the smallest increase in ticket sales was seen by Hamilton, which only went up by $8,809 to reach a weekly gross of $2,159,038. Still, this is nothing to cry about, as that still represents 111.1% of Hamilton’s gross potential.

Two New Shows: “The Cherry Orchard” And “Black To The Future”

This past week, two new shows began previews on Broadway. On September 15, 2016, The Cherry Orchard began performances at the American Airlines Theatre, ahead of its opening night on October 16, 2016. In its first partial week of 5 performances, The Cherry Orchard brought in $236,157, which represented 55.9% of its gross potential.

With a starry cast including Diane Lane, Joel Grey, Tavi Gevinson, Celia Keenan-Bolger, John Glover, and Chuck Cooper, this classic by Anton Chekhov may start to see increasing grosses as word of mouth spreads. With a top ticket price of $142, the average paid admission was $69.58, and the audience was filled up to 91.7% of it maximum capacity.

Lewis Black Finds His Home On Broadway

Furthermore, on September 12, 2016, Lewis Black’s show Black to the Future played its first weekly show on Monday nights in the Marquis Theatre. It will continue to play weekly until October 24, 2016. In its first performance, the show brought in $154,181, which represents 91.3% of its gross potential.

With a top ticket price of $167, the average paid admission was $97.03, and the audience was filled up to 97.7% of its gross potential. Lewis Black is one of the few comedians who has managed to find a home on Broadway, this now being his second time performing a comedy show in a Broadway theatre.