Daniel Radcliffe's 'Every Brilliant Thing' Defies the Snow to Captivate Audiences on Broadway
Despite the harsh winter weather in New York City, Broadway's box office receipts took a hit last week, with 27 productions experiencing a 17% drop in revenue compared to the previous week. The total gross for the week ending March 1st fell to $26,036,589, down from $32 million the prior week, and attendance dropped by 8% to 221,567.
The average ticket price also took a hit, dropping to $117.51 from $130.38. Monday evening performances were particularly affected, with seven shows canceled due to the blizzard on February 22nd. This resulted in a significant drop for productions like 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child', 'Six: The Musical', and 'The Great Gatsby'.
However, 'Every Brilliant Thing', starring Daniel Radcliffe, defied the odds. Despite losing a Monday performance, the play still managed to gross $980,815, a remarkable increase of $676,388 from the previous week's previews. This success is even more impressive considering the snowy conditions, as the play sold 98% of its seats during that week.
Other notable performances included 'Chicago', which dropped by a modest $59,706, and 'Hadestown', which saw a $160,566 increase in gross. 'Hamilton', 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child', 'Just in Time', 'Ragtime', 'Moulin Rouge!', 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow', 'The Lion King', 'The Outsiders', and 'Wicked' all sold out, with at least 90% of seats filled.
On the other hand, some shows struggled, with 'And Juliet', 'Aladdin', 'Buena Vista Social Club', 'Death Becomes Her', 'Maybe Happy Ending', 'MJ', 'Oh, Mary!', 'Operation Mincemeat', 'Six', 'The Book of Mormon', 'The Great Gatsby', and 'Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York)' experiencing significant drops in attendance.
The top five earners for the week were 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' ($2,159,398), 'Hamilton' ($1,756,444), 'Just in Time' ($1,484,852), 'The Lion King' ($1,326,036), and 'Wicked' ($1,307,242).
Despite the challenges, Broadway's season-to-date gross stands at $1,451,715,100, a 7% increase over the same period last year, with total attendance at 10,879,802, up 3%. The Broadway League attributes these figures to the continued success of the industry.
