Broadway’s recent influx of new shows has been met with enthusiasm from theatergoers. Two productions, An Enemy of the People and Water For Elephants, made their debut during the week ending March 24. While An Enemy of the People, featuring Jeremy Strong, Michael Imperioli, and Victoria Pedretti, played to packed houses at Circle in the Square, Water For Elephants, starring Grant Gustin, saw a slight decrease in receipts compared to the previous week. Despite this, both shows managed to attract audiences, with An Enemy of the People achieving an impressive 103% attendance rate.
The Who’s Tommy and The Outsiders, both in previews at Nederlander and Jacobs theaters respectively, faced their own set of challenges. The Wednesday matinee of The Who’s Tommy had to be canceled due to an illness within the cast, disrupting the show’s momentum. As for The Outsiders, the musical adaptation of the S.E. Hinton novel and Francis Ford Coppola film, managed to fill 99% of seats during its seven previews at the Jacobs. However, the true test will come on opening night on April 11.
Meanwhile, The Notebook musical continued to draw significant crowds at the Schoenfeld theater, maintaining an attendance rate of 99.7% of capacity. With such high demand for tickets, the show’s gross revenue remained steady at $895,030. This success demonstrates the power of adapting popular stories for the stage.
Lempicka, a new musical about the painter Tamara Lempicka directed by Rachel Chavkin, faced the challenge of low name recognition. Despite this, the show managed to fill 96% of seats at the Longacre during its six previews, thanks in part to an average ticket price of $65.44. Producers are likely banking on positive word-of-mouth to sustain audience interest as the show heads towards its opening night on April 14.
Overall Performance and Industry Trends
Looking at the bigger picture, the 26 Broadway productions collectively grossed $28,519,828 for the week ending March 24, marking a 2% increase from the previous week. Total attendance reached 229,911, approximately 93% of capacity, showing a 5% increase from the previous week. The season-to-date figures for Broadway also paint a positive picture, with total gross revenue standing at $1,248,081,547 and total attendance at 9,942,376, representing 89% of total capacity. These figures, sourced from The Broadway League, indicate a healthy industry overall.
Broadway’s spring newcomers have shown promise and potential, despite facing various challenges such as illness in the cast and low name recognition. The industry trends indicate a positive trajectory for Broadway as a whole, with audiences continuing to show support for live theater. As these shows move towards their official opening nights, it will be interesting to see how they fare in the competitive landscape of the Great White Way.