The final week of the Tony award season was not so good at the Broadway box office.
The total gross fell by $5 million, from $34 to $29 million despite a spate of new shows opening to qualify for the Tonys. (The eligibility date was actually moved by a week to May 6th.)
Also, the revival for “For Colored Girls” is closing early. Well received, the revival has not attracted an audience. Last week the play only sold 51% of its capacity.
Indeed, last week not one show played at 100% after several weeks of multiple entries hitting that mark. Even the Hugh Jackman “Music Man” dropped by $150,000 from the previous week. But that could be from Tony voters and other awards voters getting free tickets.
But older shows suddenly looked vulnerable. Powerhouse “Wicked” dropped by $800,000 to $1.196 million. Just two weeks ago, “Wicked” took in $2.3 million. Maybe someone cast a spell on them once the announcement of a two part movie was made.
Other struggling shows: “A Strange Loop,” “POTUS,” and “Paradise Square.” With 8,500 new COVID cases reported in NYC yesterday, we may be in for a tricky spring session on Broadway, where the requirement to show proof of vaccination is not mandatory anymore.
