Best summer since '01
Broadway Grosses
The number of tickets sold reached 3,237,858 in 2000 and 3,125,613 in 2001. Paid attendance fell below the 3 million mark in 2002 and '03 and rose just above it in 2004.
Week 14 (Aug. 22-28), however, was no B.O. record-setter, with receipts for 24 shows of $13,671,140, down an unseasonal $556,459, or 3.91%, from the previous nonholiday session.
Most of the slide could be attributed to the shuttering of "Glengarry Glen Ross" the previous week.
There were significant drops at kiddie shows "Beauty and the Beast" ($533,495) and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" ($576,520), each off more than $50,000 and losing about 9% of its previous tally.
Off a frightful 15.2%, "Lennon" ($257,758) dipped $46,201 to perform at only 41.7% capacity. Not much better was the 43.9% cap for "All Shook Up" ($340,163), which at least had the strength to hold its decrease to $2,494.
Up $77,715, "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" ($310,905) saw the week's biggest jump, thanks to its Sept. 4 close. A Sept. 18 shutter date helped to fill some seats at "The Pillowman" ($356,479), which rose $37,643 and played to 92.5%.
"Sweet Charity" kicked up its heels with a welcome $62,114 boost ($480,260).
With not much room to grow, "Wicked" ($1,320,047) continues to sprout new money, setting yet another house record at the Gershwin. And "Monty Python's Spamalot" ($1,023,080) grew a tiny $814.
The 20 musicals grossed $12,423,950 for 90.9% of the Broadway total, with attendance of 176,510 at 78.2% of capacity.
The four plays grossed $1,247,190 for 9.1% of the Broadway total, with attendance of 20,588 at 75.8% of capacity.
Average paid admission was $70.39 for musicals, $60.58 for plays and $69.36 for all shows.
