Broadway is really subject to the adage Only the Strong Survive.
The pandemic break hit all the shows hard, and now the ones that really got clobbered are starting to close.
First up is “Tina: the Musical.” The show about Tina Turner was a big hit when it opened. But that long break was too much for it to regain momentum. Plus, Tony winner Adrienne Warren finally left the show last winter. Since then box office has been on the decline, playing last week to half full houses. “Tina” will close in mid August.
“Dear Evan Hansen” was cannibalized by a movie version that came out during the pandemic. Now the musical is closing in September. The movie exposed all of the stage show’s flaws, unfortunately, and wiped away business. Last week “Evan Hansen” played to 70% of capacity.
All of Broadway was down last week compared to the prior week. Grosses were off by $4 million, and that came to $29 million plus change. The weekly gross should be up around $33 million or more.
Next to wave the white flag: “Paradise Square.”
