House records were set by two Broadway productions last week as the fall Broadway season charted forward.
For the week ending Oct. 16, the 27 Broadway productions running grossed $28,621,480, down about 2%, and played to 91% capacity, down about 1%.
“The Music Man,” “Hamilton” and “The Lion King” were the three highest-grossing productions, each earning more than $1.8 million.
12 productions played to 95% capacity or greater, while six shows played to less than 80% capacity.
“MJ” continued its hot streak, setting yet another house record at the Neil Simon Theatre, grossing $1,777,138. The new musical played to 100% capacity.
“Leopoldstadt” earned $1,095,528, making it the first play of the 2022-2023 season to surpass $1 million in grosses. The production also set an all-time house record for a new play at the Longacre Theatre with its earnings last week. The production played to 83% capacity.
A handful of family-friendly musicals saw significant dips again following the observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day when many prospective audience members had a three-day weekend. “Beetlejuice,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” and “The Lion King” all saw double-digit gross decreases of at least 12%.
In its first full week of performances, “Death of a Salesman” grossed $512,979, up 28%. However, the revival saw a capacity dip of 12%, playing to 79%.
“Cost of Living” experienced a similar week at the box office. In its third full week of performances, the play grossed $224,121, up 33%, but saw a capacity decrease of 23%, playing to 62%.
“Kimberly Akimbo” and “KPOP” both began previews last week, while “The Piano Lesson” had its official opening night on Oct. 13. “Topdog/Underdog” and “Almost Famous” continued their respective preview periods.
