The Broadway revival of An Enemy of the People, directed by Sam Gold and starring Jeremy Strong and Michael Imperioli, has had a strong start. Grossing over $1M in its first week of previews, the show played to full houses with 103.16% of seating capacity at Circle in the Square. This revival is generating significant buzz and anticipation, with its official opening night scheduled for March 18.
In the larger context of Broadway, there were 25 productions that grossed a total of $23,436,461 for the week ending March 3. While this represents a slight decrease of about 10% from the previous week, overall attendance only dropped by 4%, totaling 198,730. The Notebook musical, also in previews, managed an impressive $783,763 in its first week, filling 99% of seats at the Schoenfeld. Water For Elephants, a circus-themed musical at the Imperial, grossed $540,599 during its initial previews, with attendance at 88% capacity.
Looking ahead, Doubt, starring Amy Ryan and Liev Schreiber, is gearing up for its opening night on March 7 at the Todd Haimes. The show grossed $470,942 during previews, with attendance at 94% capacity. Meanwhile, Second Stage’s production of Appropriate made a successful transition from its non-profit run at the Hayes Theatre to a commercial transfer at the Belasco on March 25, grossing $950,927.
As one show ends its run, such as Prayer for the French Republic at the Friedman, which filled 99% of seats and grossed $679,106, there is a constant cycle of new productions and revivals on Broadway. The season to date has seen a total gross of $1,166,956,482, with a cumulative attendance of 9,287,596. The success of these shows hinges on various factors such as star power, critical reception, and audience interest but ultimately, it is the magic of live theater that continues to draw audiences to Broadway.