Hot Topics:

'Color Purple' tops modest sales

Road Grosses

'Chicago,' 'Poppins' rejuvenate Broadway

Regional shows ahead of Rialto

Post-holiday dropoff hits Broadway

Broadway still sliding on the road

Spielberg abandons 'Harvey'(1943 views)

'Blind Side' gains B.O. yardage over 'New Moon'(1838 views)

Nine(1797 views)

Taylor Lautner to star in 'Max Steel'(969 views)

Johnny Depp eyes Pancho Villa role(893 views)

Bennett Miller to direct 'Moneyball'(692 views)

NEW YORK -- The road's annual downturn continued another 5% in week 16 (Sept. 10-16) -- pretty good, considering that the recently departed "Chicago" earned more than 5% of last week's total. The 13-show slate is already recovering with a total of $11,809,531.

Chicago fixtures "The Color Purple" and "Wicked" both saw an upturn this week, and "High School Musical," in Toronto, continued to climb.

"Avenue Q" and "Jersey Boys" played successful nine-perf weeks in L.A. and Sacramento, respectively, boosting the slate a little more.

For the third week, "Wicked's" first company was the highest-grossing show on the slate, this time in its first week in Boston with $1,525,288.

Estimates for last week:

BOSTON
Wicked (M-1st Co.) Opera House ($88; 2,592, $1,632,600) (9/12/07-11/11/07).
PW, $1,702,327, in Philadelphia
Last (1st) wk, $1,525,288.

CHICAGO
The Color Purple (M-2nd Co.) Cadillac Palace Theater ($122; 2,344, $1,316,444) (5/1/07-OE).
PW, $462,818.
Last (21st) wk, $596,303.

Wicked (M-2nd Co.) Ford Center ($82; 2,243, $1,224,272) (6/24/05-OE).
PW, $835,547.
Last (117th) wk, $924,331.

CLEVELAND
The Lion King (M-1st Nat.) The State Theater ($75; 2,944; $1,504,800) (8/2/07- 9/9/07).
PW, $982,943.
Last (7th) wk, 3 perf, $387,877.

LOS ANGELES
Avenue Q (M-1st Co.) Ahmanson Theater ($90; 1,613; $805,950) (9/6/07-9/9/2007).
PW, $558,941.
Last (2nd) wk, 9 perfs, $754,045.

Wicked (M-3rd Co.) Pantages Theater ($85; 2,703, $1,633,691) (2/10/07-OE).
PW, $1,309,341.
Last (32nd) wk, $1,327,617.

MEMPHIS
The Lion King (M-1st Co.) The Orpheum Theater ($85; 2,398; $932,677) (8/23/07-9/16/07).
PW, $1,063,312.
Last (4th) wk, $1,157,481.

SACRAMENTO, CALIF.
Jersey Boys (M-2nd Co.) Community Center ($80; 2,446; $1,480,827) (9/5/07-9/23/07).
PW, $870,285 (5 perf).
Last (2nd) wk (9 perf), $1,479,704.

SALT LAKE CITY
Monty Python's Spamalot (M) Capital Theater ($75; 1,876; $910,680) (9/3/07-9/9/07).
PW, $747,797.
Last (2nd) wk, $738,970.

SAN FRANCISCO
Mamma Mia! (M-2nd Co.) Civic Theater ($79; 2,197; $1,305,097) (8/28/07-9/9/07)
PW, $496,062.
Last (2nd) wk, $628,653.

Jersey Boys (M-3rd Co.) Curran ($99; 1,599; $1,002,688) (12/3/06-OE).
PW, $800,849.
Last (42nd) wk, $742,770.

SYRACUSE, N.Y.
The Phantom of the Opera (M) Crouse-Hinds Theater ($73; 2,018; $733,628) (9/11/07-10/7/07).
PW, $1,172,343/C$1,073,023 in Ottowa.
Last (1st) wk, $598,517.

TORONTO
High School Musical (M-1st Co.) Princess of Wales Theater ($75/C$82; 1,978, C$1,001,578/$948,284) (9/5/07-9/23/07).
PW, $712,909/C$751,905.
Last (2nd) wk, C$891,992/$866,012.