Broadway’s busy spring was reaching peak bloom last week as the season’s final batch of new shows – save for the upcoming Sufjan Stevens musical Illinoise – was in previews, boosting total box office receipts to an impressive $39,445,823.
The figure for the week ending April 7 marks a 6% increase over the previous week. Attendance was 305,211, a 12% bump over the previous week (and 9% higher than last season at this time). In all, 37 Broadway productions filled 94% of available seats.
A healthy number of the recent arrivals played to full houses, including An Enemy of the People, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Stereophonic, Uncle Vanya, The Great Gatsby, and The Outsiders. They joined the usual sell-outs Hadestown, Hamilton, Merrily We Roll Along, Moulin Rouge! and Wicked.
Among the spring arrivals:
- The Outsiders, in previews at the Jacobs and opening Thursday, sold out its seven performances, grossing $732,073;
- Lempicka took in $357,757 for seven previews at the Longacre, with attendance at 87% of capacity. Opening night is April 14;
- The Wiz grossed a big $1,302,539 for six previews at the Marquis, with 98% of seats filled. Opening night is April 17;
- Suffs, at 97% of capacity at the Music Box, grossed $520,392 with seven previews. Opening night is April 18;
- Stereophonic began previews at the Golden, filling all seats of the four shows and grossing $203,744. Opening night is April 19;
- Hell’s Kitchen took in an impressive $1,013,083 for seven previews at 99% of the Shubert’s capacity. Opening night is April 20;
- Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club began previews at the August Wilson to the tune of $1,529,836, selling out all six previews. Opening night is April 21;
- Patriots began previews at the Barrymore, playing to 77% of capacity and grossing $376,192 for seven shows. Opening is April 22;
- The Heart of Rock and Roll grossed $270,607 with seven previews at the James Earl Jones, filling 74% of seats. Opening is April 22;
- Mary Jane began previews at the Friedman, filling 91% of seats with six previews, grossing $348,744. Opening night is April 23;
- Uncle Vanya, starring Steve Carell in his Broadway debut, was a sell out at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont, grossing $662,221 for its first five previews. Opening night is April 24;
- Mother Play, with Jessica Lange, Jim Parsons and Celia Keenan-Bolger, began previews at the Hayes. Gross was $491,683 for seven previews, attendance at 99% of capacity. Opening is April 25;
- The Great Gatsby, with Jeremy Jordan in the title role, took $1,122,972 for seven previews, a sell-out at the Broadway. Opening is April 25.
Other recent arrivals include Water For Elephants at the Imperial, grossing $1,026,327, at 81% of capacity; The Who’s Tommy, $1,003,258 at the Nederlander, 87%; The Notebook at the Schoenfeld, $874,981, 93%; and Doubt at the Todd Haimes, $498,638, 95%.
In its final week at the St. James, Spamalot grossed $1,119,157, filling 89% of seats.
Season to date, Broadway has grossed $1,324,622,875, with total attendance at 10,519,389.
All figures courtesy of The Broadway League. For complete box office listings, visit the League’s website.