Broadway’s box office took a substantial financial hit following the Labor Day weekend.
For the week ending Sept. 11, the 19 productions running on Broadway grossed $20,638,554, a staggering decrease of nearly 19%. However, capacity held steady at about 90%.
“Hamilton,” “MJ” and “Funny Girl” were the three highest-grossing productions, while “MJ” and “Dear Evan Hansen” were the only shows to play to 100% capacity. However, 16 of the 19 running shows played to at least 80% capacity.
“The Music Man” was on another scheduled hiatus and did not have any performances last week. The revival, which has announced it will close in January, has typically grossed between $2 and $3 million each week, also substantially affecting the weekly box office figures.
Lea Michele and Tovah Feldshuh joined the cast of “Funny Girl” on Sept. 6, prompting a massive spike at the box office of the August Wilson Theatre. The musical revival grossed $1,639,212 and played to 96% capacity, sending both figures soaring 148% and 21%, respectively. However, Michele has since contracted COVID-19 and did not finish the performance week. She is scheduled to return on Sept. 20.
A handful of productions also saw double-digit growth from the previous week, including “Chicago” (grosses and capacity up 14% and 17%, respectively), “Come From Away” (grosses and capacity up 16% and 12%, respectively) and “The Kite Runner” (grosses up 16%).
Last week marked the first full week of performances for the new cast members featured in the “Into the Woods” revival. The production earned $1,044,801, down 44%, and played to just 68% capacity, down 31%. The production also announced a final extension last week and will run through Jan. 8, 2023.
