Broadway Box Office Dips To $31M; ‘Betrayal’ Arrives As ‘Cher’, ‘Kong’ & ‘Pretty Woman’ Take Final Bows

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King Kong, Pretty Woman: The Musical and The Cher Show took their final bows on Broadway last week, all three bucking a late-summer downward box office trend with some last-chance ticket-buyers.

In general, though, Broadway box office was down about 5% from the previous week, with one fewer show on the roster and a more-often-than-not slip in most shows’ receipts. In total, Broadway grossed $31,972,753 with 28 productions for the week ending August 18. Total attendance was down about 4% to 258,918.

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New to the roster is Betrayal, the hit British production starring Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Cox and Zawe Ashton, all making their Broadway debuts. Directed and produced by Jamie Lloyd, the Harold Pinter classic began previews August 14 and opens Sept. 5 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater. For its first four previews, Betrayal took in a promising $420,907, about 80% of potential, with attendance of 3,769 at 91% of capacity.

Of the final-weekers, The Cher Show stayed most popular, taking in $1,040,097, a jump of $196,189 over the previous week and about 70% of potential receipts at the Neil Simon, where it opened last December. Attendance was 10,129, about 92% of capacity.

King Kong, which opened last November to less than gigantic raves, grabbed $845,976, about 58% of potential at the Broadway, and $120,477 over the previous week. Attendance was 11,228, 81% of capacity

Pretty Woman, the musical that opened to mixed reviews at the Nederlander last August, was up by just $49,424 over the previous week for a total take of $691,231, about 51% of potential. Attendance was 7,594, 81% of capacity.

Also playing his last note on Broadway was Barry Manilow, ending his limited run as the summer’s final short-term residency at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre. Manilow grossed $987,044 for four performances, up about $20,091 from the previous week despite playing one fewer show, with houses at 99% of capacity.

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Otherwise, even some of the strongest Broadway productions reported at least a small slip during last week’s dog days, including Ain’t Too Proud, Aladdin, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, To Kill a Mockingbird and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Not that it mattered much — all continued their very successful runs.

Attendance at Sea Wall/A Life, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Tom Sturridge, hit 93% of capacity at the Hudson, taking in $653,842.

Twelve of Broadway’s 28 productions stared down the summer heat and played to full houses (or nearly full, at 98% of capacity or more): Barry Manilow, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, Hadestown, Hamilton, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Mean Girls, Moulin Rouge!, The Book of Mormon, The Lion King, To Kill a Mockingbird, and, nearing its Aug. 24 closing date after two extensions, What The Constitution Means To Me.

Season to date, Broadway has grossed $408,707,859, down about 9% year to year as it has been all summer. Total attendance to date is 3,372,954, about 2% lower than last season at this time.

All figures courtesy of the trade group Broadway League.

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