Old faves win mixed B'way week
B.O. falls 2.44% in comparison with a year ago
Warhorses endured best: “Les Miserables,” up $36,693; “The Phantom of the Opera,” up $34,863. Nearly as good, “The Wild Party” kicked up an additional $32,309 to enjoy its best week so far, with a closing $317,712 on a gross potential of $588,499. It performed at 64.94% capacity, with its average ticket going for $49.88.
“The Music Man” continued to improve, rising $16,920 to close at $549,701 on a gross potential of $732,133. Other new shows nearly stood still: “Dirty Blonde,” no longer on an upswing, dropped $395, while “The Ride Down Mt. Morgan,” no longer on a downswing, bounced up $1,200.
No gleam for ‘Green’
Otherwise, there was real motion on the street — all of it in the wrong direction. “The Green Bird” swooped down $20,635 to land at $152,757. Its 35.47% cap was Broadway’s lowest. “Jesus Christ Superstar,” which had grossed $769,136 only four weeks ago, saw its total fall to $468,038. It dropped $40,378 last week.
Also in decline were “Riverdance” (down $55,233), “Saturday Night Fever” (down $78,633) and “Swing!” (down $49,010), which experienced its first reverse since its many Tony noms were announced.
What worked for “Cats” held no charm for “Waiting in the Wings,” which shuttered over the weekend. Its closing notice brought a drop of $44,401. It went out at $197,383 on a gross potential of $588,499.
“The Lion King” sold out, while “Aida” reached 98.99% capacity, “Cats” 98.63% and “Contact” 97.08%.
