Broadway’s spring season is starting to pick up momentum, with a total of 14 new shows set to have their official openings next month. However, the month of March is already showing promising signs with five shows that have opened or are set to open. Despite the number of productions being down compared to last year, box office numbers are still strong. In the week ending March 17, a total of 25 productions grossed $28,059,463, which is a 14% increase from the previous week. Additionally, there were 219,954 attendees, filling 94% of the available seats.
The Notebook, which received mixed reviews, managed to draw in audiences with a gross of $767,281 and a seat fill rate of 98% at the Schoenfeld Theatre. An Enemy of the People, featuring Jeremy Strong, Michael Imperioli, and Victoria Pedretti, performed well at the Circle in the Square Theatre with a gross of $972,189, filling 103% of the capacity. Water For Elephants, starring Grant Gustin, reached a seat fill rate of 94% at the Imperial Theatre with a gross of $898,413. The Who’s Tommy, currently in previews at the Nederlander Theatre, grossed $891,875 and filled 90% of the seats. The Outsiders, a musical adaptation of the novel by S.E. Hinton and film by Francis Ford Coppola, had a successful first preview at the Jacobs Theatre, grossing $149,970.
Despite the success of certain shows, others are facing challenges. Spamalot, which is set to close on April 7, experienced a jump in attendance and gross, but still falls short of filling the St. James Theatre to full capacity. The closure of Spamalot will make room for the highly anticipated Sufjan Stevens musical, Illinoise. Overall, Broadway has grossed $1,219,561,719 season to date, with a total attendance of 9,712,465. While these numbers are impressive, it is important to note that they are down compared to the previous year.
Broadway’s spring season is off to a strong start with promising box office numbers and successful show openings. However, challenges remain for some productions in terms of attendance and overall performance. As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see how the Broadway landscape evolves and whether new shows can capture the attention of audiences. Overall, the theater scene is alive and thriving, despite some setbacks and closures.