As the Tony Awards approach on June 8, the Broadway landscape is showing notable trends in box office performance among nominated shows. For the week ending May 18, roughly 14 productions seeking nominations experienced slight declines in box office revenue, while 10 contenders reported increases.
Interestingly, “Redwood,” featuring Idina Menzel, did not receive any nominations but still managed an unexpected box office boost. It announced early closure and saw a revenue increase of $191,581, totaling $818,697, although attendance remained just below the 85% capacity mark at the Nederlander Theatre.
On the nominations side, “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” starring Sarah Snook and boasting six nominations, increased its earnings by $120,388 to reach $1,324,626, aided by an additional performance that week. Both performances were sell-outs.
Notably, “Good Night, And Good Luck” experienced substantial growth with a gain of $143,803, bringing its total gross to $3,955,968, bolstered by five Tony nominations, including one for star George Clooney. Similarly, “Sunset Blvd.” increased by $146,711, with a total of $1,262,121, after receiving seven nominations across major categories.
Several other nominees also reported positive trends, including “John Proctor Is The Villain” and “Purpose,” with both achieving solid attendance and revenue increases. “Buena Vista Social Club” and “Maybe Happy Ending,” despite challenges, maintained robust performances, highlighting the resilience of productions even amid competitive settings.
Conversely, some productions faced declines, including “Smash,” which saw a drop of $47,647, and “Gypsy,” which fell by $38,048. However, others like “Othello” and “Glengarry Glen Ross,” despite being shut out of nominations, remained financially solid with impressive grosses.
Overall, Broadway’s aggregate gross for the week reached $44,351,676, showcasing an uptick of about 2% week over week and a significant 22% surge compared to the previous year. With total attendance hitting 336,494, the current season is enjoying a considerable 20% increase in gross earnings compared to last year.
This reflects a period of positivity and resilience on Broadway, suggesting that the upcoming Tony Awards may further propel audience interest and box office numbers, benefiting the theatre community as a whole. As the nominations generate excitement, it will be fascinating to see how productions respond as the awards date approaches.