Broadway Box Office: ‘Sunset Blvd.’ Keeps Rising, As New Musicals Try to Build Momentum

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As a long-time Broadway enthusiast who’s seen more shows than I can count, it’s always fascinating to watch the ebb and flow of productions on the Great White Way. The latest box office numbers have me buzzing with excitement!

Once more, my favorite play, Sunset Boulevard, has shattered records at the St. James Theatre, raking in an astounding $1.9 million this past week – a whopping $50,000 increase from the previous one! To top it all off, the theater was almost fully packed, with only 5% of seats left unfilled. What a thrilling experience it’s been to witness its continued success!

For four weeks running now, the musical has been steadily increasing its earnings since it first opened on October 20th. Similarly, the controversy surrounding Nicole Scherzinger’s comment on Russell Brand’s seemingly pro-Trump social media post appears to have had little impact, much like last week.

Last week, the total earnings of Sunset Blvd. placed it as the second most profitable production within the industry, trailing only Wicked with a revenue of approximately $2.4 million. Typically occupying the second highest spot, The Lion King experienced a significant drop in earnings by around $160,000, resulting in earnings of slightly less than $1.8 million.

Other recently premiered Broadway musicals are being carefully monitored to determine if they can extend their run and boost their overall earnings. One such production is the new musical “Maybe Happy Ending,” featuring Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen, which saw an increase of approximately $160,000 in its total earnings compared to the previous week, amounting to $458,827 and filling 89% of its seats. The musical debuted at the Belasco Theatre on November 12 to universal acclaim, but it remains to be seen if it can sustain this momentum by attracting larger audiences to maintain its longevity.

The musical titled Tammy Faye, penned by Elton John, made its debut at the Palace Theatre on November 14th, receiving mixed criticism. Last week’s attendance was at 63%, and the earnings were slightly over $370,000. These figures are influenced by a seven-show week and opening night. To cover the expenses of a big musical production like this, both attendance and income will need to rise significantly. On the other hand, A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical premiered at Studio 54 on November 11th, garnering mixed reviews initially, but managing to boost its earnings by $50,000, reaching just above $660,000.

Moreover, the extended play “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” earned approximately $900,000 during its initial seven shows, having reduced its runtime to less than three hours. Normally, it performs eight times a week, accumulating over $1 million in the preceding week. Given this, it’s premature to determine if the abbreviated version will attract more spectators. The seating capacity at the Lyric Theatre remained almost constant between both weeks, hovering around 89%.

Generally speaking, the overall industry earnings decreased by nearly 4% compared to the previous week. This drop can be attributed to productions and audiences preparing for the holiday season, along with new shows having mainly complimentary opening nights and press screenings during the lead-up days.

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2024-11-19 23:25