'West Side Story' held strong despite a comped opening-night perf.
Current revival of 'Guys and Dolls,' which pulled in $684,190 last week, continues to log solid B.O. and a robust 99% attendance rate.
Broadway continued its annual uphill spring climb, with new productions gaining steam and adding to the Rialto pot.
In a week when nearly every single show on the boards saw gains at the box office last week, perhaps the most notable increase came at "Blithe Spirit" ($640,702). The revival didn't score across-the-board raves from critics, but good press, particularly for Angela Lansbury's turn in the show, helped bring in crowds at 99% of capacity.
The revival of the Noel Coward coemdy takes the mantle as the top-selling nonmusical entry on the Main Street, in the absence of Will Ferrell's recently shuttered stint.
Two longstanding hit tuners, "The Lion King" ($1,128,139) and "Jersey Boys" ($1,032,100), returned to the millionaires' club, joining "Wicked" ($1,444,495), "Billy Elliot" ($1,188,953) and "West Side Story" ($1,004,497) -- that last still holding strong despite the fact that last week included an entirely comped opening night perf for the selling-like-hotcakes revival.
Legiters have begun to speculate that familiar titles (like "West Side" or "Blithe Spirit") have become stronger draws for auds grown more risk-averse in the current economic climate. Last week's sales bear that out, with ultra-longrunners "The Phantom of the Opera" ($834,069) and "Chicago" ($592,620) among the shows posting strong numbers.
While not quite catching fire, the current revival of "Guys and Dolls" ($684,190) also continues to log solid B.O. -- and a robust 99% attendance rate.
The previewing revival of "Hair" ($660,599), meanwhile, also gained momentum, playing to 90% capacity.
Joining the fray this week was tuner "Rock of Ages" ($229,602), playing to a encouraging 98% capacity, while the first four perfs of the Lincoln Center Theater revival "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" ($78,336) started slow.
Among the other new play productions on the boards, "God of Carnage" ($426,495) managed to rise in its heavily comped opening week, and will likely continue to see sales grow in the wake of strong reviews. "Exit the King" ($368,543), "Impressionism" ($353,263), "Irena's Vow" ($206,040) and "Reasons to be Pretty" ($106,449) also saw upticks -- although those last two continue to find it difficult to attract sales in a crowded play market.
Total sales rose $1.3 million to $17.4 million for 29 shows on the boards. That gross figure lags behind last year's $20.8 million (for 30 shows) during the same frame, but the week's 89% attendance was about on par with the percentage tallied in 2008.
Contact Gordon Cox at
gordon.cox@variety.com