Update: Legit ticket-buying program
Show breaks even, refund subsidy coin
Since seven shows broke even (or better), they are giving back all monies received from those city-purchased tix. The fortunate seven include the two plays "Proof" and "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife," each of which received $41,400, and the musicals "Beauty and the Beast," "Chicago," "Contact," "The Full Monty" and "Urinetown." The tuners got $83,400 each, as did "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Les Miserables," which failed to break even. Those Cameron Mackintosh productions, the two longest running shows on Broadway, will keep the subsidized receipts.
Also receiving $27,800 a week, "Cabaret" returns monies received from the second and third sessions of January but not the fourth when the Kander & Ebb revival dipped below its break even. (The city purchased no tickets during the bountiful B.O. week of New Year's eve.)
Third cycle
The third cycle of "Spend Your Regards" began Jan. 28 and ends March 9, with no tickets being purchased by the city over the tourist-friendly President's Day weekend (Feb. 15-18), when ticket sales generally soar. Disney announced that its "Beauty and the Beast" would not participate in the program's third cycle.
Daily Variety had reported total receipts of $43,045,890 for the period of Jan. 1-27. With approximately $472,000 in subsidized receipts being returned, the adjusted figure is $42,573,890.
The similar time period in January 2001 produced receipts of $46,642,283. Much of the 7.71% decrease can be attributed to fewer shows on the boards this year. January 2002 ended with 20 shows running, where as January 2001 concluded with 25. The past month, however, was blessed with unseasonably warm temperatures. January 2001 experienced a few mighty storms, dropping 20 inches of snow on Gotham, while only 3 inches fell during the past month.
