About Michael Tubbs

Michael's passion for Broadway and statistics came together perfectly for his assignment as "Broadway Sales Analyst" at New York Show Tickets Inc. He loves to forecast future Broadway ticket sales, diagnose breaking trends and can spot Broadway show winners and losers long before the rest of the crowd. Favorite Celebrity: Ashton Kutcher

2013

Posted on December 3, 2013 by Michael Tubbs

BROADWAY TICKET SALES SOAR
As history has shown, Thanksgiving is one of the biggest money-making periods for Broadway. This week was no exception, with Broadway ticket sales leaping from the previous week’s $23,426,994 up to $31,531,067 during the ‘Turkey Day’ holiday week and weekend. Clearly, once New Yorkers had sufficiently feasted, they were also ready to take in a Broadway show.

WICKED BRINGS IN MORE THAN 2.5 MILLION
Thanksgiving made millionaires of many Broadway shows this week, with a total of 14 plays and musicals making more than one million. And the top three shows — The Book of Mormon, Wicked, and The Lion King — all easily made over two million, with Wicked coming out on top at a whopping $2,625,327 in weekly grosses.

WINSLOW BOY CLOSES WITH DECENT SALES
The non-profit Roundabout Theatre Company’s latest revival, The Winslow Boy, concluded its limited run this past Sunday. The Thanksgiving holiday didn’t give it that much of a bump as, at a total take of $284,831, its final week’s gross was on par with recent weeks. The play’s average paid admission of $67.15 was unimpressive, but not unusual for Roundabout productions.

The following are the Broadway ticket sales numbers from the week ending December 1, 2013:

Show	GrossGross	Total Attn	%Cap	AvgPdAdm
700 SUNDAYS	$1,121,799	7,164	81.28%	$156.59
A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER	$551,608	5,947	81.96%	$92.75
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN	$317,171	3,368	55.32%	$94.17
AFTER MIDNIGHT	$666,512	6,099	73.59%	$109.28
ANNIE	$1,229,595	11,640	91.02%	$105.64
BEAUTIFUL	$628,436	6,229	75.89%	$100.89
BETRAYAL	$1,289,324	8,424	100.00%	$153.05
BIG FISH	$642,180	8,093	71.70%	$79.35
CHICAGO	$643,572	7,253	83.95%	$88.73
CINDERELLA	$1,046,663	11,182	79.83%	$93.60
FIRST DATE	$335,405	4,674	54.65%	$71.76
JERSEY BOYS	$914,762	7,912	80.54%	$115.62
KINKY BOOTS	$1,912,568	11,465	100.64%	$166.82
MACBETH	$276,033	4,274	58.32%	$64.58
MAMMA MIA!	$705,981	7,623	81.72%	$92.61
MATILDA	$1,657,599	11,544	100.77%	$143.59
MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL	$1,522,003	11,301	93.74%	$134.68
NEWSIES	$1,045,626	9,292	98.02%	$112.53
NO MAN’S LAND/WAITING FOR GODOT	$709,855	7,643	89.04%	$92.88
ONCE	$843,325	7,862	92.80%	$107.27
PIPPIN	$1,070,681	7,974	100.68%	$134.27
ROCK OF AGES	$407,074	3,922	84.09%	$103.79
ROMEO AND JULIET	$329,489	4,003	37.94%	$82.31
SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK	$1,418,373	12,833	101.33%	$110.53
THE BOOK OF MORMON	$2,161,225	9,846	102.63%	$219.50
THE GLASS MENAGERIE	$611,444	5,225	83.95%	$117.02
THE LION KING	$2,365,402	13,452	98.91%	$175.84
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$1,220,246	12,181	94.87%	$100.18
THE SNOW GEESE	$150,473	3,546	68.19%	$42.43
THE WINSLOW BOY	$284,831	4,242	71.66%	$67.15
TWELFTH NIGHT/RICHARD III	$826,487	8,165	97.11%	$101.22
WICKED	$2,625,327	16,678	98.15%	$157.41
Totals:	$31,531,067	261,056	83.88%	$112.13

Broadway Show Ticket Sales Analysis w/e 11/24/2013

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Michael Tubbs

BROADWAY TICKET SALES CONTINUE TO FALL
The (hopefully) lucrative Thanksgiving holiday can’t come fast enough this year, as Broadway has seen another dive in ticket sales this week. Overall Broadway revenue was down by well over one million dollars, with sales falling from $24,670,329 down to this week’s $23,426,994.

SPIDER-MAN ANNOUNCES CLOSING DUE TO WEAK SALES
The producers of Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark announced this week that the comic book hero musical would shutter in January, and a look at the numbers illustrates why. The cavernous Foxwoods Theatre was filled to 75.47% capacity this week, with the average paid admission at $80.23 per ticket. While this might not be so bad for your average Broadway show, Spider-man had a notoriously pricey multi-millionaire investment, coupled with high weekly running costs, meaning that it can’t afford to continue running with such modest sales numbers.

THE BOOK OF MORMON TAKES TOP SPOT
The seemingly never-ending wrestling match between Wicked, The Lion King, and The Book of Mormon for the #1 place on the Broadway grosses chart continued this week, but with an unexpected winner. This time, The Book of Mormon, which usually has to settle for 3rd place, or 2nd at best, actually won the battle and hit the top spot with $1,677,524.

The following are the Broadway ticket sales numbers from the week ending November 24, 2013:

Show	GrossGross	Total Attn	%Cap	AvgPdAdm
700 SUNDAYS	$1,117,307	7,701	87.37%	$145.09
A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER	$414,591	5,403	79.55%	$76.73
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN	$359,718	3,987	65.49%	$90.22
AFTER MIDNIGHT	$662,568	7,470	90.13%	$88.70
ANNIE	$730,228	8,926	78.52%	$81.81
BEAUTIFUL	$507,431	4,359	84.97%	$116.41
BETRAYAL	$1,240,802	8,424	100.00%	$147.29
BIG FISH	$453,940	7,223	63.99%	$62.85
CHICAGO	$397,564	4,992	57.78%	$79.64
CINDERELLA	$679,252	8,282	59.12%	$82.02
FIRST DATE	$279,966	4,576	53.51%	$61.18
JERSEY BOYS	$685,562	6,744	68.65%	$101.66
KINKY BOOTS	$1,567,701	11,278	99.00%	$139.01
MACBETH	$356,754	6,421	76.66%	$55.56
MAMMA MIA!	$476,789	5,887	63.11%	$80.99
MATILDA	$1,018,332	10,077	87.96%	$101.06
MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL	$1,255,847	10,525	87.30%	$119.32
NEWSIES	$688,579	7,908	83.42%	$87.07
NO MAN’S LAND/WAITING FOR GODOT	$495,083	7,836	91.29%	$63.18
ONCE	$589,705	6,043	71.33%	$97.58
PIPPIN	$742,778	6,798	85.83%	$109.26
ROCK OF AGES	$324,010	3,799	81.45%	$85.29
ROMEO AND JULIET	$312,045	4,000	37.91%	$78.01
SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK	$766,811	9,558	75.47%	$80.23
THE BOOK OF MORMON	$1,677,524	8,752	102.63%	$191.67
THE GLASS MENAGERIE	$561,563	4,961	79.71%	$113.20
THE LION KING	$1,560,773	12,946	95.19%	$120.56
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$702,263	8,437	65.71%	$83.24
THE SNOW GEESE	$181,489	3,848	74.00%	$47.16
THE WINSLOW BOY	$271,373	4,299	72.62%	$63.12
TWELFTH NIGHT/RICHARD III	$715,799	8,484	100.90%	$84.37
WICKED	$1,632,849	13,449	92.93%	$121.41
Totals:	$23,426,994	233,393	78.55%	$95.47

Broadway Show Ticket Sales Analysis w/e 11/17/2013

Posted on November 19, 2013 by Michael Tubbs

Il Divo

BROADWAY TICKET SALES DOWN BY A MILLION
While Broadway experienced a significant jump in overall revenue the previous week, the most recent numbers show that weekly ticket sales have dropped by nearly a million, falling from $25,659,018 to $24,670,329.

IL DIVO SERENADES BROADWAY
The Italian classical/pop quartet Il Divo, accompanied by Broadway and R&B artist Heather Headley, began a Broadway concert engagement this past week with Il Divo: A Musical Affair. If the grosses are any indication, Broadway audiences have been thoroughly charmed by the group, filling the theater to 95.54% capacity and paying the hefty average admission price of $141.57 per ticket.

A TIME TO KILL ENDS BROADWAY RUN
It was a time to close for A Time to Kill this past Sunday, as the dramatic play (based on the John Grisham novel of the same name) ended its open run after a short and unprofitable time on Broadway. Though the theater was more than 3/4 full during the show’s final week, the average paid admission was rather low at just $46.48.

The following are the Broadway ticket sales numbers from the week ending November 17, 2013:

Show	GrossGross	Total Attn	%Cap	AvgPdAdm
700 SUNDAYS	$1,067,922	8,214	93.19%	$130.01
A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER	$281,423	5,614	82.66%	$50.13
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN	$415,279	5,125	84.18%	$81.03
A TIME TO KILL	$227,390	4,892	76.25%	$46.48
AFTER MIDNIGHT	$635,690	7,156	86.34%	$88.83
ANNIE	$619,968	7,723	67.94%	$80.28
BETRAYAL	$1,243,485	8,424	100.00%	$147.61
BIG FISH	$465,471	7,942	70.36%	$58.61
CHICAGO	$447,810	5,561	64.36%	$80.53
CINDERELLA	$669,091	8,397	59.94%	$79.68
FIRST DATE	$307,911	4,854	56.76%	$63.43
IL DIVO – A MUSICAL AFFAIR	$1,308,223	9,241	95.54%	$141.57
JERSEY BOYS	$747,961	7,239	73.69%	$103.32
KINKY BOOTS	$1,617,270	11,329	99.45%	$142.75
MACBETH	$386,505	6,607	78.88%	$58.50
MAMMA MIA!	$468,848	5,604	60.08%	$83.66
MATILDA	$1,062,604	10,279	89.73%	$103.38
MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL	$1,306,070	10,978	91.06%	$118.97
NEWSIES	$670,758	7,741	81.66%	$86.65
NO MAN’S LAND/WAITING FOR GODOT	$627,102	8,215	95.70%	$76.34
ONCE	$634,402	6,302	74.39%	$100.67
PIPPIN	$764,960	6,997	88.35%	$109.33
ROCK OF AGES	$334,693	3,938	84.43%	$84.99
ROMEO AND JULIET	$323,734	4,102	38.87%	$78.92
SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK	$742,595	9,540	75.33%	$77.84
THE BOOK OF MORMON	$1,695,855	8,752	102.63%	$193.77
THE GLASS MENAGERIE	$626,521	5,313	85.36%	$117.92
THE LION KING	$1,437,598	12,064	88.71%	$119.16
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$731,704	9,048	70.47%	$80.87
THE SNOW GEESE	$235,648	3,807	73.21%	$61.90
THE WINSLOW BOY	$291,311	4,323	73.02%	$67.39
TWELFTH NIGHT/RICHARD III	$686,649	8,238	97.98%	$83.35
WICKED	$1,587,882	13,681	94.53%	$116.06
Totals:	$24,670,329	247,240	80.46%	$94.36

Broadway Show Ticket Sales Analysis w/e 11/10/2013

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Michael Tubbs

BIG JUMP IN BROADWAY TICKET SALES
After a few weeks of falling sales, Broadway ticket sales made a big leap this week. Overall revenue swelled by more than $3 million, increasing from last week’s $22,476,709 to $25,659,018. This change is a strong sign that Broadway is officially entering its lucrative holiday season.

BILLY CRYSTAL PLAYS 700 SUNDAYS
Actor Billy Crystal has arrived on Broadway with a bang, starting preview performance of 700 Sundays at the Imperial Theatre this week. This return engagement of Crystal’s one-man Broadway show filled its theater to 87.20% capacity, selling tickets at an impressive average ticket price of $149.29, which already earned 700 Sundays entry into the Millionaire’s Club (at a weekly total of $1,147,436).

THE BOOK OF MORMON BEATS LION KING
Like last week, Wicked made the top of the Broadway grosses chart, taking in $1,864,819. However, perhaps the more notable fact was that The Book of Mormon came in second (at $1,767,155) ahead of third place finisher The Lion King ($1,705,540), which is an uncommon occurrence given the much smaller size of The Book of Mormon‘s theater and the enduring popularity of The Lion King.

The following are the Broadway ticket sales numbers from the week ending November 10, 2013:

Show	GrossGross	Total Attn	%Cap	AvgPdAdm
700 SUNDAYS	$1,147,436	7,686	87.20%	$149.29
A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER	$354,837	5,865	86.35%	$60.50
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN	$438,961	5,107	83.89%	$85.95
A TIME TO KILL	$230,794	3,991	62.20%	$57.83
AFTER MIDNIGHT	$585,515	7,076	85.38%	$82.75
ANNIE	$838,833	10,569	92.97%	$79.37
BETRAYAL	$1,245,258	8,424	100.00%	$147.82
BIG FISH	$600,339	7,595	67.28%	$79.04
CHICAGO	$575,717	7,122	82.43%	$80.84
CINDERELLA	$858,663	10,177	72.65%	$84.37
FIRST DATE	$399,240	6,002	70.18%	$66.52
JERSEY BOYS	$843,189	7,933	80.75%	$106.29
KINKY BOOTS	$1,671,806	11,433	100.36%	$146.23
MACBETH	$387,834	6,099	72.82%	$63.59
MAMMA MIA!	$645,791	7,715	82.71%	$83.71
MATILDA	$1,157,911	10,956	95.64%	$105.69
MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL	$1,333,883	11,085	91.95%	$120.33
NEWSIES	$749,821	8,110	85.55%	$92.46
NO MAN’S LAND/WAITING FOR GODOT	$635,850	7,118	82.92%	$89.33
ONCE	$725,833	7,225	85.28%	$100.46
PIPPIN	$846,955	7,270	91.79%	$116.50
ROCK OF AGES	$406,067	4,372	93.74%	$92.88
ROMEO AND JULIET	$343,802	4,480	42.46%	$76.74
SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK	$810,162	10,036	79.25%	$80.73
THE BOOK OF MORMON	$1,767,155	8,752	102.63%	$201.91
THE GLASS MENAGERIE	$674,956	5,575	89.57%	$121.07
THE LION KING	$1,705,540	13,398	98.51%	$127.30
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$790,698	9,869	76.86%	$80.12
THE SNOW GEESE	$264,903	4,058	78.04%	$65.28
THE WINSLOW BOY	$264,605	3,922	66.25%	$67.47
TWELFTH NIGHT/RICHARD III	$491,847	8,263	98.28%	$59.52
WICKED	$1,864,819	15,175	99.94%	$122.89
Totals:	$25,659,018	252,458	83.93%	$96.71

Broadway Show Ticket Sales Analysis w/e 11/3/2013

Posted on November 5, 2013 by Michael Tubbs

BROADWAY SALES CONTINUE TO FALL
Whether it was the unseasonably warm weather in New York City or just the calm before the holiday storm that has kept New Yorkers away from Broadway theaters, the total revenue for Broadway dropped again this past week, falling from $23,158,295 down to $22,476,709.

MAMMA MIA! HAS A GOOD FIRST WEEKEND IN NEW THEATER
After a two-week shut down so that it could move from its original home, the Winter Garden Theater, to the Broadhurst Theater, Mamma Mia! re-opened on November 2 for its first weekend in its new home. The Broadhurst was filled to 70.90% capacity, with the show’s average paid admission at $86.60. Mamma Mia‘s two-day total was $286,371, which actually put it ahead of several Broadway shows’ earnings for the entire week.

WICKED COMES OUT ON TOP
Perhaps because of the hoopla regarding its 10th anniversary celebration in October, Wicked managed to get the top spot in Broadway ticket sales this week (The Lion King most often seems to reside in the #1 spot). The Book of Mormon and The Lion King were neck and neck for 2nd place at $1,699,199 and $1,699,647 in sales, respectively, with the mighty Lion King just narrowly winning the #2 spot.

The following are the Broadway ticket numbers from the week ending November 3, 2013:

Show	GrossGross	Total Attn	%Cap	AvgPdAdm
A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER	$308,207	5,482	80.71%	$56.22
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN	$388,662	4,716	77.46%	$82.41
A TIME TO KILL	$215,431	3,554	55.39%	$60.62
AFTER MIDNIGHT	$371,312	7,986	98.45%	$46.50
ANNIE	$534,060	7,297	64.19%	$73.19
BETRAYAL	$1,277,952	8,424	100.00%	$151.70
BIG FISH	$647,165	7,781	68.93%	$83.17
CHICAGO	$536,601	6,585	76.22%	$81.49
CINDERELLA	$682,960	8,738	62.38%	$78.16
FIRST DATE	$281,538	4,643	54.29%	$60.64
JERSEY BOYS	$754,241	7,528	76.63%	$100.19
KINKY BOOTS	$1,625,209	11,442	100.44%	$142.04
MACBETH	$389,377	6,082	72.61%	$64.02
MAMMA MIA!	$286,371	3,307	70.90%	$86.60
MATILDA	$1,084,210	10,763	93.95%	$100.73
MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL	$1,288,507	10,706	88.80%	$120.35
NEWSIES	$624,830	7,925	83.60%	$78.84
NO MAN’S LAND/WAITING FOR GODOT	$557,098	6,727	89.56%	$82.82
ONCE	$678,136	7,072	83.47%	$95.89
PIPPIN	$779,078	7,284	91.97%	$106.96
ROCK OF AGES	$355,245	3,951	84.71%	$89.91
ROMEO AND JULIET	$331,348	4,847	45.93%	$68.36
SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK	$801,830	10,019	79.11%	$80.03
THE BOOK OF MORMON	$1,699,199	8,752	102.63%	$194.15
THE GLASS MENAGERIE	$633,519	5,445	87.48%	$116.35
THE LION KING	$1,699,647	12,988	95.50%	$130.86
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$836,302	10,312	80.31%	$81.10
THE SNOW GEESE	$258,152	4,116	79.15%	$62.72
THE WINSLOW BOY	$223,088	3,472	58.65%	$64.25
TWELFTH NIGHT/RICHARD III	$590,481	7,988	95.00%	$73.92
WICKED	$1,736,957	14,472	100.00%	$120.02
Totals:	$22,476,709	230,404	80.60%	$91.43

Broadway Show Ticket Sales Analysis w/e 10/27/2013

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Michael Tubbs

ANOTHER SLIP IN BROADWAY SALES
New shows may be popping up right and left on Broadway currently, but at the moment the ticket sales numbers aren’t rising accordingly. This week saw a drop in overall Broadway revenue as sales dropped from last week’s $24,038,295 down to $23,158,295.

ETHAN HAWKE STARS IN MACBETH
With one Macbeth (Alan Cumming’s recent solo version) barely gone from Broadway, a new Macbeth arrives at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theatre this week to begin previews. This latest version of the classic William Shakespeare tragedy, which features Ethan Hawke as the ambitious title character, got off to a good — if not great — start, with 86.53% attendance and a $72.18 average paid admission. So far the production has done limited advertising, though, so once more people discover that Hawke is starring, that could affect sales positively.

A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE BEGINS PREVIEWS
The new Broadway comedy A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder starring Jefferson Mays gets off to a decent start as it starts preview performances at the Walter Kerr Theatre. Though it is coming to Broadway with little buzz, the show still managed to fill the theater to 82.33% capacity, but the average paid admission was a modest $63.66 per ticket.

PATRICK STEWART AND IAN MCKELLEN ON BROADWAY
Two of the stage’s most gifted actors, Patrick Stewart (Star Trek) and Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings), take on not one but two plays in repertory with the new productions of No Man’s Land and Waiting for Godot, which began previews this week. At 92.54% capacity, they are not having any trouble filling seats, and the average ticket price is a very healthy $102.11.

The following are the Broadway ticket sales numbers from the week ending October 27, 2013:

Show	GrossGross	Total Attn	%Cap	AvgPdAdm
A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER	$311,467	4,893	82.33%	$63.66
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN	$433,141	5,143	84.48%	$84.22
A TIME TO KILL	$247,168	4,010	62.50%	$61.64
AFTER MIDNIGHT	$431,132	7,519	92.69%	$57.34
ANNIE	$654,875	8,926	78.52%	$73.37
BETRAYAL	$1,103,682	8,424	100.00%	$131.02
BIG FISH	$751,326	8,870	78.58%	$84.70
CHICAGO	$625,630	7,676	88.84%	$81.50
CINDERELLA	$715,196	9,261	66.11%	$77.23
FIRST DATE	$352,833	5,323	62.24%	$66.28
JERSEY BOYS	$869,462	8,468	86.20%	$102.68
KINKY BOOTS	$1,651,626	11,469	100.68%	$144.01
MACBETH	$196,181	2,718	86.53%	$72.18
MATILDA	$1,176,019	11,317	98.79%	$103.92
MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL	$1,425,902	11,691	96.97%	$121.97
NEWSIES	$784,099	8,903	93.91%	$88.07
NO MAN’S LAND/WAITING FOR GODOT	$202,787	1,986	92.54%	$102.11
ONCE	$703,982	6,933	81.83%	$101.54
PIPPIN	$904,108	7,698	97.20%	$117.45
ROCK OF AGES	$393,636	4,369	93.67%	$90.10
ROMEO AND JULIET	$363,076	4,382	41.53%	$82.86
SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK	$789,538	10,427	82.34%	$75.72
THE BOOK OF MORMON	$1,733,532	8,752	102.63%	$198.07
THE GLASS MENAGERIE	$734,661	6,305	101.30%	$116.52
THE LION KING	$1,798,361	13,573	99.80%	$132.50
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$960,578	11,564	90.06%	$83.07
THE SNOW GEESE	$251,343	4,872	93.69%	$51.59
THE WINSLOW BOY	$230,058	3,836	64.80%	$59.97
TWELFTH NIGHT/RICHARD III	$669,342	8,143	96.85%	$82.20
WICKED	$1,693,555	14,318	98.94%	$118.28
Totals:	$23,158,295	231,769	86.55%	$94.19

Broadway Show Ticket Sales Analysis w/e 10/20/2013

Posted on October 22, 2013 by Michael Tubbs

MODEST DROP IN BROADWAY REVENUE
Following substantial increases in overall Broadway ticket revenue during the previous two weeks, this week saw a fairly small drop in Broadway sales, falling from $24,614,027 to $24,038,295, a difference of about half a million.

AFTER MIDNIGHT HAS A STRONG FIRST WEEK
The new production After Midnight, a celebration of Harlem’s Golden Age of glamorous supper clubs and hot jazz music, began performances at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre this week and has gotten off to a very good start. Filling the theater to 97.57% capacity, the show came close to selling out, which is impressive given that it has had limited advertising and hasn’t had time to build word-of-mouth yet. The cast, which includes Fantasia Barrino (American Idol, Broadway’s The Color Purple) and Dule Hill (TV’s Psych), has likely proven a big draw for many audience members, as well as the promise of great music by Duke Ellington and other jazz legends.

TWO SHAKESPEARE PLAYS START PERFORMANCES
It’s a big season for William Shakespeare on Broadway, with Romeo and Juliet already playing and a new Macbeth starring Ethan Hawke yet to come. This week saw the beginning of productions of Richard III and Twelfth Night, which are playing in repertory at the Belasco Theatre. Featuring all-male casts (both star Mark Rylance, who has impressed Broadway in plays such as Boeing Boeing and Jerusalem), live music on period instruments, and stage lighting primarily by candles, these productions aim to bring the authentic ambiance of Shakespeare’s stage to the modern era. They had extremely good attendance in their first week of previews (97.10% capacity), with a decent average paid admission of $76.43.

EIGHT BROADWAY SHOWS IN MILLIONAIRES CLUB
A total of eight Broadway shows made over one million dollars this week. The top three — The Lion King, The Book of Mormon, and Wicked, respectively — are the usual front-runners. The three behind them are all hits from last season, Kinky Boots, Motown, and Matilda. After that is Betrayal, the only production from this season that earned over a million this week. In eighth place, just barely making it into the “club” at $1,044,707, is Broadway’s longest-running musical, The Phantom of the Opera.

The following are the Broadway ticket sales numbers from the week ending October 20, 2013:

Show	GrossGross	Total Attn	%Cap	AvgPdAdm
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN	$397,767	4,980	92.36%	$79.87
A TIME TO KILL	$250,779	5,659	88.20%	$44.32
AFTER MIDNIGHT	$235,823	2,968	97.57%	$79.46
ANNIE	$708,039	9,177	80.73%	$77.15
BETRAYAL	$1,250,565	8,424	100.00%	$148.45
BIG FISH	$841,498	9,700	85.93%	$86.75
CHICAGO	$648,594	7,661	88.67%	$84.66
CINDERELLA	$789,856	9,758	69.66%	$80.94
FIRST DATE	$411,385	6,264	73.25%	$65.67
JERSEY BOYS	$967,800	9,111	92.74%	$106.22
KINKY BOOTS	$1,669,794	11,482	100.79%	$145.43
MAMMA MIA!	$894,941	10,063	83.97%	$88.93
MATILDA	$1,278,480	10,773	94.04%	$118.67
MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL	$1,464,583	12,133	100.64%	$120.71
NEWSIES	$803,577	9,042	95.38%	$88.87
ONCE	$745,326	7,216	85.17%	$103.29
PIPPIN	$957,303	7,930	100.13%	$120.72
ROCK OF AGES	$406,072	4,464	95.71%	$90.97
ROMEO AND JULIET	$447,953	5,619	53.25%	$79.72
SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK	$856,976	10,701	84.50%	$80.08
THE BOOK OF MORMON	$1,767,297	8,752	102.63%	$201.93
THE GLASS MENAGERIE	$722,255	6,299	101.21%	$114.66
THE LION KING	$1,804,890	13,458	98.96%	$134.11
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$1,044,707	11,915	92.80%	$87.68
THE SNOW GEESE	$280,700	4,886	93.96%	$57.45
THE WINSLOW BOY	$203,093	4,862	82.13%	$41.77
TWELFTH NIGHT/RICHARD III	$468,429	6,129	97.19%	$76.43
WICKED	$1,719,816	14,256	98.51%	$120.64
Totals:	$24,038,295	233,682	90.36%	$97.34

Broadway Show Ticket Sales Analysis w/e 10/13/2013

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Michael Tubbs

ANOTHER JUMP IN BROADWAY SALES
Total Broadway ticket sales continue to soar upwards as several new shows are in the process of opening on the Great White Way. Sales this week jumped by more than $3 million, going from last week’s $21,422,658 up to $24,614,027.

NEWEST SHOWS VIE FOR AUDIENCES
There are many new Broadway shows now competing to get audiences in seats right now. So far Betrayal (which has movie star Daniel Craig in the lead) and The Glass Menagerie (which received glowing reviews) are the only genuine hits. Most of the other shows — such as A Time to Kill, Big Fish, and First Date — are either struggling or doing decent business that is respectable but not necessarily good enough to keep them running very long. However, even with less-than-stellar sales, many of these shows will make the effort to keep running for the next few months in order to take advantage of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, when Broadway inevitably sees its best ticket sales.

SOUL DOCTOR HAS A WEAK FINAL WEEK
The new show Soul Doctor, a biographical musical about the famed “rock ‘n’ roll rabbi” Shlomo Carlebach, ended its Broadway run without much advance notice this past Sunday, October 13. Although Soul Doctor closed in a hurry, the writing was on the wall since it first began performances in the late summer, as the show never managed to do very strong business and was always offering considerable discounts on tickets. In its last week, the tuner came close to filling its theater to 75% capacity, but the average paid admission was a mere $30.52 per ticket.

CLOSE RACE BETWEEN TOP FOUR BROADWAY SHOWS
Disney’s The Lion King came out on top this week with total earnings of $1,885,054, but its most close competitors came in very close. Second place went to Wicked at $1,874,654, and third went to the smash hit The Book of Mormon at $1,844,539. Coming in the fourth slot was Tony-winning newcomer Kinky Boots, which brought in $1,810,202.

The following are the Broadway ticket sales numbers from the week ending October 13, 2013:

Show	GrossGross	Total Attn	%Cap	AvgPdAdm
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN	$353,070	5,023	93.16%	$70.29
A TIME TO KILL	$278,494	5,464	85.16%	$50.97
ANNIE	$735,228	9,182	80.77%	$80.07
BETRAYAL	$1,112,027	7,371	100.00%	$150.87
BIG FISH	$856,110	10,112	89.58%	$84.66
CHICAGO	$684,614	7,961	92.14%	$86.00
CINDERELLA	$842,893	9,964	71.13%	$84.59
FIRST DATE	$448,331	6,559	76.70%	$68.35
JERSEY BOYS	$980,494	8,862	90.21%	$110.64
KINKY BOOTS	$1,810,202	11,480	100.77%	$157.68
MAMMA MIA!	$900,507	10,027	83.67%	$89.81
MATILDA	$1,430,085	11,499	100.38%	$124.37
MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL	$1,488,380	12,124	100.56%	$122.76
NEWSIES	$843,620	9,198	97.03%	$91.72
ONCE	$798,203	7,692	90.79%	$103.77
PIPPIN	$989,455	8,007	101.10%	$123.57
ROCK OF AGES	$399,628	4,090	87.69%	$97.71
ROMEO AND JULIET	$470,744	5,832	55.27%	$80.72
SOUL DOCTOR	$128,256	4,202	74.82%	$30.52
SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK	$956,929	11,243	88.78%	$85.11
THE BOOK OF MORMON	$1,844,539	8,752	102.63%	$210.76
THE GLASS MENAGERIE	$724,363	6,327	101.65%	$114.49
THE LION KING	$1,885,054	13,603	100.02%	$138.58
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$1,023,947	11,986	93.35%	$85.43
THE SNOW GEESE	$236,863	4,030	88.57%	$58.77
THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL	$317,826	3,148	98.71%	$100.96
THE WINSLOW BOY	$199,512	4,232	71.49%	$47.14
WICKED	$1,874,654	14,430	99.71%	$129.91
Totals:	$24,614,027	232,400	89.85%	$99.29

Soul Doctor: Journey of a Rockstar Rabbi Closes Tonight (Sunday October 13)

Posted on October 13, 2013 by Michael Tubbs

Soul Doctor, the Broadway show that tried to combine Fiddler on the Roof , Jersey Boys, Hair and Motown The Musical closed after 32 preview performances and 66 regular performances on The Great White Way. The show had received mixed reviews both on and off Broadway, where it began last year.

The show was produced by Jeremy Chess and had been in the bottom five earning Broadway shows since it opened on July 17 2013. It offered orchestra tickets at just $77 to encourage theatre-goers, but to no avail. It failed to capture both the current vein of enthusiasm for Motown-esqe shows on Broadway and the Jewish community’s interest – with ultra soft sales since Labor day.
It is expected that this musical closed with an overall loss for financial investors.

Last weeks ticket sales were $111,912 with just 3,849 people attending that account for 68.50% of the available seats, but with a very low average of just $29.08 per ticket, presumably they were papering the theatre, to try to get something going before closing.

Broadway Show Ticket Sales Analysis w/e 10/6/2013

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Michael Tubbs

A SHARP UPTURN IN BROADWAY TICKET SALES
Broadway ticket revenue is indicating that the new fall season is finally getting into gear. Total Broadway sales shot up from last week’s $19,453,418 to $21,422,658, a significant increase of nearly $2 million.

JAMES BOND COMES TO BROADWAY
In his return to Broadway, Daniel Craig (the current 007 in the James Bond movie franchise) is joined by his real-life wife and film actress Rachel Weisz in the Harold Pinter play revival Betrayal, and even in the first week of preview performances the duo are attracting big audiences. Performances were completely sold out, with the average paid admission at a hefty $149.34.

THE SNOW GEESE BEGINS PREVIEWS
The new play The Snow Geese, produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club and starring Mary-Louise Parker, saw fairly good attendance in its first week, filling to 81.10% capacity. But the average ticket price was quite low at just $54.20.

The following are the Broadway ticket sales numbers from the week ending October 6, 2013:

Show Name	GrossGross	TotalAttn	%Cap	AvgPdAdm
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN	$281,871	4,555	84.50%	$61.88
A TIME TO KILL	$215,552	3,784	67.40%	$56.96
ANNIE	$478,876	6,387	56.20%	$74.98
BETRAYAL	$1,100,818	7,371	100.00%	$149.34
BIG FISH	$643,550	10,434	95.40%	$61.68
CHICAGO	$555,450	6,939	80.30%	$80.05
CINDERELLA	$639,996	7,821	55.80%	$81.83
FIRST DATE	$324,767	5,410	63.30%	$60.03
JERSEY BOYS	$889,467	8,527	86.80%	$104.31
KINKY BOOTS	$1,629,721	11,469	100.70%	$142.10
MAMMA MIA!	$768,298	8,994	75.10%	$85.42
MATILDA	$1,170,047	11,250	98.20%	$104.00
MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL	$1,394,785	11,630	96.50%	$119.93
NEWSIES	$676,380	7,871	83.00%	$85.93
ONCE	$672,833	6,683	78.90%	$100.68
PIPPIN	$894,252	7,582	95.70%	$117.94
ROCK OF AGES	$391,241	4,331	92.90%	$90.33
ROMEO AND JULIET	$366,705	5,108	48.40%	$71.79
SOUL DOCTOR	$111,912	3,849	68.50%	$29.08
SPIDER-MAN TURN OFF THE DARK	$654,748	9,392	74.20%	$69.71
THE BOOK OF MORMON	$1,760,259	8,752	102.60%	$201.13
THE GLASS MENAGERIE	$641,797	6,162	99.00%	$104.15
THE LION KING	$1,722,720	13,287	97.70%	$129.65
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA	$850,637	10,512	81.90%	$80.92
THE SNOW GEESE	$200,041	3,691	81.10%	$54.20
THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL	$673,002	6,474	87.00%	$103.95
THE WINSLOW BOY	$169,325	3,531	59.60%	$47.95
WICKED	$1,543,608	13,328	92.10%	$115.82
Totals:	$21,422,658	215,124	82.24%	$92.35