Broadway Grosses Analysis: Sunset Boulevard Joins The $1 Million Club in a 6-Performance Week | Playbill

Grosses Broadway Grosses Analysis: Sunset Boulevard Joins The $1 Million Club in a 6-Performance Week

The Jamie Lloyd-directed revival is one of several new shows selling big as Broadway's fortunes are on the rise.

Graphic by Vi Dang

Some of Broadway's newest titles are pulling in audiences, which might be more than a little responsible for a cumulative increase of more than 12% at the box office last week compared to the week prior. Chief among those was the Jamie Lloyd-helmed revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard at the St. James. Last week was the West End transfer's second on the boards, and playing just six previews (a typical schedule would have eight), the production joined The $1 Million Club, bringing in $1,075,921.70. With an average ticket price of $118—nothing to scoff at, but a far cry from Hamilton's chart-topping $171—we may well see the production's take soar even higher, particularly as the show's schedule begins to add weekly performances in the weeks ahead.

Perhaps most notably, Sunset achieved that box-office win without selling out the large-capacity St. James, filling just 93% of its seats. But the production is one of an increasingly large list of Broadway newcomers that seem to be hitting with audiences. Last week there were four sell-out shows on the Main Stem—Romeo and JulietThe OutsidersMcNeal, and Oh, Mary!—all of which began this year and only one that came from last season. Also notable: only one of those is a musical. Regular top five-ranker Hell's Kitchen also belongs on that list, too. Even without selling out, the Alicia Keys musical brought in $1.4 million, the fifth highest of any show last week.

But don't worry. Broadway's standbys are holding strong, too. WickedThe Lion King, and Hamilton topped the list of highest grossers last week, followed by The Outsiders and Hell's Kitchen, the latter of which just barely inched out Moulin Rouge! The Musical

Across all 32 currently running shows, box offices took in just over 12% more compared to the week prior, a total led by huge increases at Sunset and Romeo and Juliet. Both were only in their second week of performances, meaning both of those increases are largely due to a lot more shows being included in last week's data. But it also means that both are shaping up to be box-office powerhouses, and we are happy to see it.

Take a look at the full report here.

The $1 Million Club (shows that earned $1 million or more at the box office):

(11 of 32 currently running productions)

The 90s Club (shows that played to 90% or higher of their seats filled over the entire week):

  • Romeo and Juliet (102.54%)
  • The Outsiders (101.9%)
  • McNeal (100%%)
  • Oh, Mary! (100%)
  • Wicked
  • Moulin Rouge! The Musical
  • Hell's Kitchen
  • Stereophonic
  • The Book of Mormon
  • Hadestown
  • Sunset Boulevard
  • The Lion King
  • Hamilton

(13 of 32 currently running productions)

 
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