Following the highs of the Presidents Day holiday, the Broadway box office saw a slight decrease of about 3% in overall receipts. However, this decline did not significantly impact the total attendance for 24 shows, which maintained a steady rate of 205,020 attendees, filling about 94% of capacity.
New productions such as Water For Elephants made a notable contribution of $344,493 to the overall box office tally. Despite being in previews, this circus-themed musical managed to fill 94% of seats at the Imperial, signaling a potentially successful run ahead of its official opening night on March 21. Similarly, The Notebook musical, adapted from the popular bestseller and movie, experienced strong audience turnout during previews at the Schoenfeld, with 99.7% of seats filled and a gross income of $880,360. Its opening night is set for March 14.
Doubt, another production in previews starring Amy Ryan and Liev Schreiber, generated a respectable $555,197 for seven performances at Roundabout’s Todd Haimes Theatre, filling about 92% of capacity. Its official opening night is scheduled for March 7. Shows consistently performing at 95% capacity or higher include popular titles such as & Juliet, Aladdin, Hamilton, Moulin Rouge!, The Book of Mormon, and Wicked, among others.
While some shows continue to thrive with high attendance rates, others are facing challenges. A Beautiful Noise, for example, only filled 67% of seats, leading to a June closing notice announcement. Similarly, Days of Wine and Roses saw a attendance rate of 60%, and Spamalot at 72%, highlighting the variability in audience interest and demand within the Broadway landscape.
Season to date, Broadway has grossed an impressive $1,143,520,021, with a total attendance of 9,088,866. These figures, provided by The Broadway League, showcase the enduring popularity and financial success of the industry. For a comprehensive listing of box office performance, interested parties can visit the League’s official website.
Through a combination of established hits, exciting new productions, and dedicated audience support, Broadway continues to captivate theatergoers and maintain its status as a cultural powerhouse in the entertainment world.