B.O. grows; 'Bang' 864g
Broadway grosses
During Week 48 (April 25-May 1), 37 shows brought in $18,222,313, up $886,381 or 5.11% from the previous session. Paid attendance came to 276,044.
A year ago, the numbers were 226,137 in paid attendance and $14.5 million in receipts. In 2003, they were slightly lower: 225,123 and $13.9 million.
In the top 10, several new shows took minor hits due to comps for Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk voters. Off $70,616, "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" ($687,297) had the double whammy of a comped promo perf for Newsday.
"Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" ($864,437), however, scored despite preem comps, gaining $41,828.
Under the top 10, "Spelling Bee" ($309,431) brushed off crix comps to post an uptick of $23,262.
New plays "Doubt" ($445,469) and "The Pillowman" ($402,357) were up $32,581 and $24,837, respectively, setting house records at the Walter Kerr and the Booth.
Even bigger gains pumped needed life into the languishing "Brooklyn" ($223,273), "Twelve Angry Men" ($238,288) and "Dame Edna: Back With a Vengeance" ($236,346), up $66,749 in its final week.
But the biggest bump was reserved for "Sweet Charity" ($495,273), up $96,121.
All those awards noms must have helped "The Light in the Piazza" ($333,256), which grew $83,871 and promptly posted an extension through the summer. And "Fiddler on the Roof" ($584,022) came off Passover week with renewed force, its receipts up $87,223.
Opening-night comps took whacks out of "Glengarry Glen Ross" ($289,639), down $26,185, and "A Streetcar Named Desire" ($259,341), down $49,569.
The 23 musicals grossed $13,844,649 for 76.0% of the Broadway total, with attendance of 208,973 at 84.4% of capacity.
The 14 plays grossed $4,377,664 for 24.0% of the Broadway total, with attendance of 67,071 at 69.8% of capacity.
Average ticket prices were $66.25 for musicals, $65.27 for plays and $66.01 for all shows.
