Broadway box office stays strong
Total sales for season hit $937.5 million
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Total sales for the 2007-08 season, the 52-week period that ended May 25, hit $937.5 million.
That's admittedly less than last season's record $938.5 million. But given that the 2007-08 frame was hobbled by the 19-day stagehands strike in November -- which shuttered the majority of productions during what is traditionally one of the Rialto's most profitable periods -- the $1 million shortfall seems relatively minor.
Paid attendance also fell slightly, slipping to 12.27 million from 12.3 million the prior season.
By the Broadway League's approximation, box office would have climbed to $975 million with 12.9 million tickets sold if the strike had not temporarily shuttered more than 25 shows.
The org's tallies incorporate estimates for "Young Frankenstein," which does not publicly release its sales figures. Those estimates place cumulative box office for "Frankenstein" at around $40 million, making it the highest-grossing new offering of the season.
Among new shows reporting figures, "Grease" led the pack at $29.2 million. The show was launched with a reality casting skein on NBC, and its summer opening gave it a head start on most of the competish. "Grease" earned lousy reviews but enjoyed steady biz.
Swimming close on its tail was "The Little Mermaid," which opened in early January but has nonetheless racked up nearly $26 million.
Among nontuners, Pulitzer Prize winner "August: Osage County" was hot, attracting $12.3 million in biz since it began previews in the fall. Strong-selling "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" has pulled in $9.7 million since it started perfs in February, while "November," which opened in January, has collected some $9.2 million.
When it comes to long-running musicals, the usual suspects went to the head of the class. Perennial juggernaut "Wicked" logged nearly $73 million -- about on par with its perf last season despite the hindrance of the strike. Both "Jersey Boys," which took in almost $60 million, and "The Lion King," up to $59.2 million, managed to surpass their 2006-07 totals.
Consistently rising ticket prices are always a factor in the Rialto's climbing sales figures, although the average price paid per ducat rose just a bit this year, from $76.23 to $76.41.
Thirty-six new productions opened during the 2007-08 season vs. the 35 in the previous season. The tally among musicals breaks down to eight new tuners and four revivals (plus one return engagement of "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!"), while plays separated into 11 new offerings and 12 revivals.
Although box office records remain unbroken, legiters are confident about next season, which boasts potential blockbuster tuners including "Billy Elliot," "Shrek" and "West Side Story."
