‘Wicked’ Topples ‘Spiderman’ to Regain Top Spot at Broadway Box Office

The winter doldrums, as is usual for this point in the year, have arrived at a majority of the box offices on Broadway. Last week, many plays and musicals had rows of empty seats. Nineteen out of the 40 houses on Broadway were dark due to shows being on hiatus or closing. Last week Broadway productions grossed $14.9 million in total. The week before the total was $20.8 million. The January 2010 comparable week was $17.6 million. Ticket sales traditionally slow down in the middle of January, with school resuming and holiday vacations coming to an end. It often lasts until new productions start and spring vacations begin.

Last week, “Wicked,” the long-running Broadway hit, recaptured their number one spot at the box office with earnings of $1.54 million. “The Lion King” brought in $1.33 million. “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” grossed $1.26 million after grossing more than “Wicked” for the week after New Year’s Day. Last week, there were only six “Spider-Man” performances instead of eight. The show still is in previews and it was recently announced that opening night is being delayed again until March 15.

Last week, the three big musical brought in early 30 percent of Broadway’s total gross revenue. One other show that had a relatively strong performance was “Next to Normal,” the musical with six actors. The show was playing its last eight Broadway performances. Its run started in March 2009. The show set a box office record for Booth Theater. “Next to Normal” grossed $552,653 to set the new record, breaking their previous record set a week earlier at $550,409.

By Julie Harmon On January 18, 2011

All photos made available via creative commons licensing courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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