Easter Proves Fruitful Week on Broadway, Upsurge Across Major Shows, Added Performances, and Two New Shows Entering Previews
Box Office Rises By Over $7 Million
Over the course of the 35 shows currently running, the overall box office gross was $42,016,689, which is an astounding increase of $7,325,450 from the week before. To take advantage of the increased tourist crowds due to the spring holiday, three of the biggest earners added a ninth performance: The Lion King, Wicked, and Aladdin. As such, The Lion King went up by $1,020,633 to reach a weekly gross of $3,092,152, which represents 107.4% of its gross potential. Wicked went up by $907,401 to reach a weekly gross of $2,723,040, which represents 136.0%. Aladdin went up by $665,363 to reach a weekly gross of $2,110,432, which represents 98.2%
Though it played just eight performances, the same as the week before, Frozen went up by $804,202 to reach a weekly gross of $2,246,998, or 100.9% of its potential, cementing its status as a commercial hit. Other top performers included Dear Evan Hansen, which went up by $73,463 to reach a weekly gross of $1,744,352, or 122.4% of its gross, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which earned a weekly gross of $1,589,033, or 114.3%, and Hamilton, which, although it decreased by $200,515 to reach a weekly gross of $2,882,014, it still brought in 109.6% of its gross potential. Stalwart The Phantom of the Opera brought in 118.3% of its gross potential, with a weekly gross of $1,605,070.
Two New Shows: Summer and “Travesties
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical began previews on March 28, 2018, playing 4 shows in its first week. The jukebox tuner brought in a weekly gross of $568,993, which represents 77.4% of its potential. With a top ticket price of $197, the average paid admission was $106.20, and the audience was filled up to 91.1% of its capacity. While Donna Summer certainly has a built-in fan base, it’s hard to imagine that it rivals Harry Potter or Frozen, both hitting the scene-- Harry Potter with an entirely new conceived idea, and Frozen with an original score, rather than a re-appropriated list of musical tracks from a starlet of a bygone era. Travesties began previews on March 29, 2018, also playing four shows. The weekly gross was $151,212, which represents 46.2% of its potential. With a top ticket price of $147, the average paid admission was $61.27, and the audience was filled up to 85.2% of its capacity. This demonstrates a high amount of discounting for this Roundabout Theatre Company revival of a Tom Stoppard play, in a production transferred from London and originally produced by the Menier Chocolate Factory. The cast includes Tom Hollander, Peter McDonald, Seth Numrich, Opal Alladin, Dan Butler, Patrick Kerr, Scarlett Strallen, and Sara Topham.
