Broadway Journal

DEFENDING AGAINST BROADWAY LEAGUE LAWSUIT COULD COST CASTING DIRECTORS MILLIONS

February 1, 2018 by Philip Boroff

Casting directors could finance their own big-budget play or musical for what they may spend defending themselves against the Broadway League’s antitrust lawsuit.

Merely complying with the League’s request for evidence, a process known as discovery, could collectively cost casting directors as much as $4.7 million, a litigation support specialist said in a signed declaration filed in Federal Court. Earlier today, U.S. District Judge Gregory Woods denied the casting directors’ motion to halt or “stay” discovery, which may require their lawyers to review as many as 3 million documents.

In its December suit, the League, which represents producers and theater owners, accused casting director companies of illegally fixing prices. The companies responded that in seeking contributions from producers for healthcare and pension benefits, they’re attempting “to secure the basic workplace fairness enjoyed by nearly every other worker on Broadway.” The League’s lawsuit, the casting directors say, is an attempt to “exact crippling commercial leverage” in negotiations.

HELLO, SARA! ‘WAITRESS’ WITH BAREILLES SERVES $600 SEATS

January 23, 2018 by Philip Boroff

Call it the Hamilton effect or just supply and demand.

Producers of Waitress have raised the top ticket to $600 with pop stars Sara Bareilles and Jason Mraz in the leading roles. That’s the priciest seat for a star-driven musical on Broadway today, after Hello, Dolly! slashed prices when Bernadette Peters replaced Bette Midler as the matchmaker Dolly Levi.

With Bareilles back onstage after a stint last spring, Waitress weekly grosses spiked 51 percent to $1.6 million. It was by far the musical’s best seven days since it opened in 2016. That’s impressive given that frigid weather contributed to Broadway’s worst week in almost three months.

SPRINGSTEEN FORGOES HOLIDAY BONUS AS BROADWAY’S BEST-SELLING WEEK CAPS RECORD YEAR

January 2, 2018 by Philip Boroff

Thanks to ever-rising prices, 2017 ended on a frosty high note.

It was Broadway’s best-selling year, at $1.64 billion; its top-grossing week — $50.4 million; and the best week for a single show: Hamilton, natch, at $3.9 million, aided by record $1,150 seats.

Sales overall for 2017 were up 20 percent, according to data from the Broadway League, a trade association of producers and theater owners. The average ticket ascended 16 percent to $119.

BROADWAY HAS RECORD 2017; AVERAGE TICKET SOARS TO $118

December 28, 2017 by Philip Boroff

Amanda Jane Cooper in Wicked/Joan Marcus

EXCLUSIVE: The year isn’t over, but it’s already demolishing records.

As of Dec. 24, Broadway grosses for 2017 totaled $1.59 billion, vs. $1.37 billion for all of 2016, which had been the bestselling calendar year. With a holiday bonanza likely this week, 2017 sales are on track to be up about 20 percent, according to data from the Broadway League, which represents producers and theater owners.

Broadway is hitting new heights as it weathers a 4 percent drop in international tourism in the U.S. in the first half of the year. (Numbers for 2017’s second half aren’t available.) Some say President Trump’s anti-immigration, “America First” rhetoric and agenda is a factor in the decline of international travelers. Yet thanks to a continued influx of Americans, overall tourism is up in New York City. “The domestic audience may be more attuned to Broadway than international visitors,” said George Wachtel, president of Audience Research & Analysis, which conducts market research about cultural tourism.

HISTORIC ‘HAMILTON’ RAISES TOP TICKET TO RECORD $1,150

December 24, 2017 by Philip Boroff

EXCLUSIVE: Don’t be shocked if Hamilton reports extra-huge holiday numbers. Tickets this week are going for a record $1,150.

With the increase, Hamilton is the first on Broadway to sell seats for four figures, before fees, that don’t benefit a charity or political campaign.

As of Sunday afternoon, a few $1,150 tickets were still available through December 30. (The show is dark on New Year’s Eve and Jan. 1.) They are the only ones remaining this year for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical about the founding fathers, besides those via resellers and a $10 lottery. The price is up 15 percent from last Christmas, when top tickets fetched a then-record $998. (Hello, Dolly! later matched $998 for the first row for some performances.) Shows typically raise prices for the holidays, when tourists pack the city.

‘HAMILTON,’ ‘EVAN HANSEN’ POST RECORDS IN BROADWAY’S BESTSELLING THANKSGIVING; SPRINGSTEEN EXTENDS

November 27, 2017 by Philip Boroff

Noah Galvin in Dear Evan Hansen/Nathan Johnson

Broadway can be thankful for big-spending tourists, as grosses soared 11 percent from a year earlier in its bestselling Thanksgiving week ever.

Among the musicals posting weekly records were Hamilton, Hello, Dolly! with Bette Midler, Dear Evan Hansen, Come From Away and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Broadway in all sold $39 million, with an average seat of $147.50.

Hamilton took in $3.5 million, a 4 percent jump from the week ending on Jan 1, 2017. It was the highest-grossing seven days for any Broadway musical. Evan Hansen rose 16 percent from the week before to $2 million, even as Noah Galvin replaced Tony Award-winner Ben Platt in the lead. The average Evan Hansen ticket was $244, not too far behind Hamilton, at $321 .Continue Reading

SCHUMER & THURMAN LEAD BROADWAY PLAY RESURGENCE

November 13, 2017 by Philip Boroff

The girl with the lower back tattoo can put butts in seats.

In its first full week of previews, Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower, starring Amy Schumer, grossed a cool $1 million, according to stats released by the Broadway League. It’s a sellout with an average ticket of $161, which is 21 percent higher than the average for Larry David’s 2015 comedy Fish in the Dark at this point in its run. (Meteor Shower also stars Keegan-Michael Key and Laura Benanti.)

The Parisian Woman, Beau Willimon’s political drama starring Uma Thurman, did an impressive $580,000 over five previews, with an average of $122.

PUBLIC’S ‘HAMILTON’ RICHES COULD TOP $10 MILLION A YEAR

November 3, 2017 by Philip Boroff

EXCLUSIVE: The Public Theater could earn upwards of $10 million a year for helping to develop Hamilton: An American Musical. But don’t expect it to do anything flashy with the cash.

The plan for now is to plow money back into the institution — rather than bankrolling new shows on Broadway or making Public Theater tickets free year-round a la Shakespeare in the Park.

First up, according to two people familiar with the situation: an ambitious renovation to consolidate rehearsal space across the street, at 440 Lafayette, which will primarily replace facilities it rents around the city. And it’s setting aside reserves for capital expenses, operations and programming.

‘BAND’S VISIT’ IS BIG SELLER IN WEEK ONE

October 16, 2017 by Philip Boroff

Katrina Lenk & Tony Shalhoub/Ahron Foster

The $8 million-plus to bring The Band’s Visit to Broadway looks like money well spent, based on its first full week of previews.

The David Yazbek and Itamar Moses musical set in a sleepy Israeli town grossed $769,000 — 84 percent of its potential. Attendance was 100 percent of capacity. The average ticket, at $105, was just 12 percent below the average of Dear Evan Hansen in its first week a year earlier, according to Broadway League data.

TICKETS AVERAGE $497 FOR SPRINGSTEEN’S TRIP DOWN THUNDER ROAD

October 10, 2017 by Philip Boroff

Only Bruce Springsteen can overshadow Hamilton and Hello, Dolly!

After just five performances, Springsteen’s mostly solo show at the Walter Kerr Theatre grossed $2.3 million, with an average ticket of $496.72 — surely a Broadway record. Hamilton has long sported the highest average, which was $272 last week, according to the Broadway League, and has been as dear as $310.

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