NEW YORK -- March toddled in like a lamb for Broadway March 2-8, with only modest gains over the previous week. Attendance was up 2.6% to 226,857, with receipts rising 3.6%, totaling $10,691,521 -- a $369,851 gain.
The soon-to-disappear "The Capeman," which reviewers panned and audiences scorned, dropped $22,874 during the week that producers announced the show's March 28 closing. The Paul Simon musical took in only $377,729 of a potential $784,594 -- playing to just 57% of its capacity at the Marquis Theater.
"The Diary of Anne Frank" also saw receipts drop $22,874 from the previous week, and also played to only 57% capacity.
Powerhouses "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Titanic" both had modest downward fluctuations in their typically stellar business. "Phantom" slipped $70,131 compared with last week, taking gross receipts of $622,918. "Titanic" sank slightly, grossing $605,414, a loss of $15,185 compared with the previous week's gross. At the Royale Theater, "Art," in its first full week after opening, was up $91,034 and sold to nearly 90% capacity.
Also posting respectable gains, "The Scarlet Pimpernel" rebounded from an $8,000 dip two weeks ago, charting a $55,261 increase over last week, filling the Minskoff to 70.3% capacity.
John Leguizamo's "Freak" continued its strong run, filling 95% of the Cort Theater and picking up an increase of $34,010 by jumping to $224,523 for the week.
And, not surprisingly, Broadway stalwarts "Chicago," "Les Miserables," "Miss Saigon" and "Rent" all rounded out the week with 90%-plus attendance, with "Saigon" making a jump of $36,644 over the previous week. "Chicago" managed a $7,494 bump, and "Les Miz" a gain of $14,495. Only "Rent" saw its receipts drop, despite SRO crowds, to $554,282, down $8,925.
Meanwhile, previews continue for "Cabaret," "Ah, Wilderness!," "The Deep Blue Sea" and "The Sound of Music," which built its audience to 77% capacity at the Martin Beck theater, a $43,000 increase over the previous week.
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