The Broadway box office saw a slight decline as the industry transitioned into the post-Memorial Day summer period. Despite some shows reporting lower attendance compared to the holiday highs, the 35 productions managed to gross $33,662,845 for the week ending June 2. This marked a 5% decrease from the previous week, but an 8% increase compared to the same period last year. Total paid attendance stood at 280,253, down 2% from the previous week but up 7% year over year, with approximately 86% of all seats filled.
The only newcomer on Broadway during this period was “Ben Platt: Live At The Palace,” a concert residency at the newly renovated venue. Ben Platt’s performances garnered $650,306 in grosses with an average ticket price of $89.10. However, various shows experienced box office slips due to high-profile cast members being absent. “Merrily We Roll Along” saw a decrease in attendance as Daniel Radcliffe missed five performances, resulting in grosses of $1,148,603. Similarly, “Uncle Vanya” faced challenges when Steve Carell was out sick for five shows, causing attendance to drop to 74% of capacity with grosses at $734,380. “Mother Play” also had to cancel a performance due to illness in the company, resulting in attendance of 91% for the remaining shows.
Week 2 Previews and Top Earners
In its second week of previews at the Todd Haimes Theatre, the revival of Samm-Art Williams’ “Home” filled 74% of available seats, grossing $116,448. The top earner of the week was “The Lion King,” bringing in $2,084,039. Other productions that grossed $1 million or more included “Aladdin,” “Hamilton,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” “Wicked,” and more. Shows like “An Enemy of the People,” “Hell’s Kitchen,” and “Merrily We Roll Along” sold out, while others like “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” “Stereophonic,” and “Wicked” operated at 99% capacity.
Some shows struggled to fill seats, with productions like “Patriots” and “The Heart of Rock and Roll” only reaching 58% of capacity. Season-to-date, Broadway has grossed $68,958,251 with total attendance at 567,499. The Broadway League provided all figures and complete box office listings can be found on their website.
Overall, the Broadway box office showed resilience in the face of post-holiday lulls, with both established and new productions making their mark on the industry. Despite challenges such as cast absences and lower attendance for some shows, the theater scene continues to thrive and attract audiences from near and far.