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Box-office collections across Broadway were steady this week, with the $28,463,126 marking just a slight increase over last week's numbers, while the attendance, at 261,253, was just a few thousand shy of the previous week.
Comparing the new season’s numbers to last season’s, 2015-16 is running slightly behind. Last season, at this time last year, had $115,905,809 in the bank, whereas this season has $111,507,677. Season-to-date attendance last year was 1,124,375, compared to this season’s 1,059,359. Explaining this, in part, is that last season had 141 playing weeks to work with, while this season has tallied only 127 so far.
Two shows closed their runs last week. The musical Gigi had its last eight performances at the Neil Simon Theatre. Monies were up $110,000 to $619,008, and attendance was up by 1,665. (Those were the biggest box-office and attendance bounces of the week). Houses were at 74% capacity, and box office was 46% of the possible.
Skylight was a hit during all of its run, and had little left to prove in its final week. Nonetheless, the David Hare revival ended in handsome fashion, to sell-out crowds and commanding 108% of the potential box office take. Average ticket price was $144.57. Jason Alexander, in his second week as the star of the Larry David comedy Fish in the Dark, did about the same business as he had the previous week. Seats were 91% full and box office was 82% of the possible.
The capacity shows of last week included Aladdin, The Audience, The Book of Mormon, Fun Home and The Lion King. Just under capacity were The King and I, Wicked, Matilda the Musical, Chicago and An American in Paris.
The biggest box-office drop of the week belonged to the English, two-parter import Wolf Hall, which toppled $114,082 down to $467,890. Attendance dipped by 1,055, which as the sharpest such decline of the week. 45% of the seats at the Winter Garden were occupied.
