As Broadway gears up for a jam-packed spring season, recent box office numbers have shown a solid start. With 25 productions grossing a total of $28,059,463 for the week ending March 17, there has been a 14% increase from the previous week. Despite this positive trend, it’s important to note that both grosses and attendance are still down by more than 15% compared to the same time last year when 29 shows were running.
Notable Openings
Several new shows have recently made their debuts on Broadway, with a variety of responses from audiences and critics alike. “The Notebook,” despite receiving mixed reviews, has managed to attract audiences and fill 98% of seats at the Schoenfeld, grossing $767,281. “An Enemy of the People,” starring Jeremy Strong, Michael Imperioli, and Victoria Pedretti, received great reviews and achieved a remarkable 103% capacity at Circle in the Square, with a gross of $972,189. Another notable mention is “Water For Elephants,” starring Grant Gustin, which reached 94% capacity at the Imperial in its final week of previews before the official opening, grossing $898,413.
As the spring season progresses, Broadway audiences can look forward to a number of highly anticipated shows. “The Who’s Tommy” is set to open on March 28 after playing seven previews at the Nederlander, filling 90% of seats and grossing $891,875. “The Outsiders,” a musical adaptation of the beloved novel by S.E. Hinton and Francis Ford Coppola’s film, had a sold-out first preview at the Jacobs, grossing $149,970. With an opening night scheduled for April 11, this show is one to watch.
Despite some shows experiencing lackluster attendance, such as “Spamalot,” which will be closing on April 7, there is excitement for upcoming productions like the Sufjan Stevens musical “Illinoise” at the St. James. Season to date, Broadway has grossed an impressive $1,219,561,719, with total attendance reaching 9,712,465. While these numbers show promise for the season ahead, it’s important for Broadway to continue to innovate and captivate audiences in order to sustain this success.
Overall, the Broadway spring season is off to a promising start with a mix of new and familiar shows captivating audiences. With a diverse range of productions and exciting debuts on the horizon, there is much to look forward to in the coming weeks. As the theater district continues to evolve and adapt to changing audience tastes, the magic of Broadway remains a constant draw for theatergoers around the world.