Star Power Drives $358K Debut as Broadway Market Contracts

A preview of Much Ado About Nothing generated $358,262 in ticket sales during its first showing in New York. The performance, featuring Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell, filled the Winter Garden Theatre to capacity. The average ticket price for that single event stood at $238, placing it as the second highest on Broadway for that week.

The production transferred directly from London to the New York stage. Jamie Lloyd directed the revival. If current pricing holds, the show is positioned to become one of the top weekly earners in the industry. The full opening is scheduled for November 19.

The debut follows a recent trend of new entries into the theatrical market. A Few Good Men opened last week starring Bradley Whitford and Tom Blyth. That production brought in nearly $1.3 million for the week. It played to a 100 percent capacity audience, though opening night and several press tickets were provided at no cost. Reviews for that title have been mixed so far.

Established titles continued to dominate the top of the earnings charts. Other Desert Cities remained the top earner with $2.35 million for the week. It also recorded the highest average ticket price on Broadway at $301, a new personal best for the show starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Allison Janney, and Joe Keery. Hamilton secured the second spot in weekly earnings with a total of $2.31 million.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child followed with $1.63 million. The musical MJ earned $1.61 million, while The Lion King reported weekly grosses of $1.56 million. Billy Crystal’s solo show, 860, ranked sixth with $1.35 million. That total included three heavily comped performances for press members, meaning actual paid revenue was likely lower than the gross figure suggests.

Despite the addition of these new shows, overall Broadway grosses fell by 13 percent for the week. Attendance figures decreased by 4 percent. Industry analysts attributed the decline to competition from major seasonal events. Halloween and the New York City Marathon drew portions of the local and tourist audience away from the theater district.

Newer productions also saw shifts in their weekly performance. Downstate experienced a dip in attendance during its second week. Occupancy rates dropped to 87 percent from a previous 94 percent as the show expanded its schedule from six to eight performances per week. The production generated $275,085 during that period, ahead of its official opening date on November 15.

The musical Wanted also saw a decrease in audience numbers. Attendance fell to 82 percent from 93 percent in the prior week. Correspondingly, weekly grosses dropped to $508,919. The musical is set to hold its official opening on November 8.