B'way slides by Fourth
Holiday week brings 2.3% dip on closings
Most of the decline could be attributed to fewer shows on the boards, with the count at 28 productions. "The Invention of Love" and "King Hedley II" closed the previous week, while "A Thousand Clowns" put in its first six previews last week; the Herb Gardner revival with Tom Selleck in his Broadway debut grossed $179,908.
Elsewhere, 16 shows declined at the box office while 11 saw their receipts rise. "Fosse" took the biggest leap up, registering an $84,305 bump that brought its cume to $407,819 on a gross potential of $668,100. Thanks to the one-week-only return of Ann Reinking and an impending close (Aug. 25), the long-running hoofer show performed at an admirable 92.8% capacity.
On the rise
There were also five-figure upticks for "Beauty and the Beast" (up $48,133); "Chicago" ($37,686); "Rent" ($17,871); and "Follies" ($13,301), which closes Saturday.
"The Producers" continued its rise into the stratosphere as more of those $99 tickets begin to figure into the B.O. equation. The tuner rose $8,207 to close with $1,066,348 on its gross potential of $1,042,163. Once again, it joined "The Lion King" in the sold-out club.
'Street' slips
"42nd Street" occasionally joins those two shows in the 100%-plus category, but not last week. It fell to 94.4% capacity, its receipts dropping $69,537 to finish with $802,126 on a potential of $1,009,892.
"One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" played only six perfs, with $75,050 fewer bucks to show for it. The Gary Sinise starrer grossed $260,110 on its potential of $393,868.
There were also sizable drops for "Aida" (down $51,619); "The Full Monty" ($62,887); and "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife" ($40,113), which took in $292,705 against its $492,315 gross potential.
