Broadway Box Office: Kid Stuff Conquers As Family-Aimed Shows Bring Big Bucks

As producers ramp up efforts to grow the international audience (the latest effort is aimed at Brazilians who prefer Bergdorf’s, Bendel’s and Bloomingdale’s to Broadway), shows aimed at families are showing growth at the early summer box office. Six of seven G-rated shows currently running posted B.O. improvement last week, which was relatively quiet on the Street as Helen Mirren wrapped her huge hit The Audience at the Shuberts’ Schoenfeld and newcomer Amazing Grace got off to a soft start with its first five previews at the Nederlander.

Disney’s Aladdin, at the company flagship New Amsterdam, was up $18.7K to $1.6 million, just a few dollars short of gross potential and an average ticket price of $119.29. Finding Neverland, at the Nederlander-owned Lunt-Fontanne, was up $90K to $1.2 million, 83% of gross potential and also SRO, with an average ticket price of $101.88. Mamma Mia! at the Shuberts’ Broadhurst, was up $74.7K to $856.8K, with an average ticket price of $93.46.

Matilda

, at the Shubert, was up $73K to $1.1 million, 88% of potential and all seats gone, at an average ticket price of $97.92. Lincoln Center Theater’s King And I revival, at the Beaumont, bumped up $19.6K to $1.2 million at full capacity and 96% of gross potential, with a $140.14 average ticket price. Wicked, at the Nederlanders’ Gershwin, was up $100K to $2 million — a remarkable 115% of gross potential and full house loads of folks paying an average ticket price of $134.90. Only Disney’s Lion King, at the Nederlanders’ Minskoff, dropped a bit — Simba was down $34K — while still managing to be the week’s highest-grossing show, at $2.1 million, and with a formidable $155.90 average ticket price.

Jim Parsons has at least momentarily replaced Alan Cumming as the Pied Piper of the Roundabout’ Studio 54, where An Act Of God continues to pack the customers in, ticking up $65.5K to $955.6K, dead even at gross potential and capacity, of 94%. Something Rotten!, at Jujamcyn’s St. James, was up $61K to $1.2 million, 82% of potential and with an average ticket price of $97.48. At the Nederlanders’ Brooks Atkinson Theatre, It Shoulda Been You has mounted an effective ad campaign and got a boost, I hope, from Tyne Daly’s Best Curtain Speech Of the Century on the night of the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality (“Hate is strong, but love is stronger” was the gist of it, but for the full emotional wallop, check it out at http://youtu.be/4OJzYDW1PXc). That cheerful musical was up $71K to $415K, still a soft 42% of gross potential; and an average ticket of $68.30.

Newcomer Amazing Grace rang up $200.4K in sales for five previews, 29% of potential, with an average ticket price of $57.57.

Total sales for 29 shows during Week 5 of the 2015-2015 season was $28.3 million, down less than 1% from the week before according to figures compiled by the trade group Broadway League.

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