As the summer days drag on and theatergoers flock to the beach or other outdoor activities, Broadway has seen a decline in total grosses. Last week, the total grosses amounted to $25,343,599, which is a 10% drop from the previous week. The decrease can be attributed, at least in part, to the summer edition of Kids’ Night on Broadway, where 19 of the 24 shows offered free performances to children accompanied by a paying adult.
Family favorites like The Lion King and Aladdin experienced significant drops in revenue, with The Lion King down by $203,453 to $1,904,177 and Aladdin dropping $176,876 to $1,178,408. The absence of The Wiz, a popular show, also contributed to the overall decline. Total attendance for the week ending August 25 was 211,342, marking a 6% decrease from the previous week and a 1% decrease from the same time last year.
Amidst the summer slump, some shows managed to maintain strong ticket sales. Oh, Mary!, Stereophonic, and The Outsiders sold out for the week, showcasing their resilience. Once Upon A Mattress, Wicked, and Hadestown also came close to full capacity, with 99% of their seats filled. Cabaret At The Kit Kat Club continued its success, raking in $1,459,506 for the week with 98% occupancy at the August Wilson theater.
Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin are set to depart their respective shows on September 14, leading to anticipated increases in ticket sales. Redmayne, known for his role as the Emcee, has been a key figure in the show’s success since its West End debut in 2021. As audiences bid farewell to these talented performers, the Broadway landscape is likely to see shifts in attendance and revenue.
On the other end of the spectrum, shows like Water For Elephants, The Notebook, and Harry Potter And The Cursed Child struggled to fill seats, with attendance rates ranging from 75% to 76%. Despite these challenges, Broadway as a whole has shown promising growth in the 14th week of the 2024-25 season, grossing $453,418,819, a 6% increase from the previous year. Total attendance stands at 3,601,394, up approximately 4%.
The state of Broadway in late summer reflects a mix of successes and setbacks. While some shows continue to draw in enthusiastic crowds, others face challenges in maintaining audience engagement. As the season transitions into fall, the theater industry is poised for further changes and developments.
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