Broadway Grosses: Finding Neverland, With Stars Abound, Soars High During Preview Performances

A new musical has just flown to Broadway, and it already has audiences swooping in to grab a seat. With seven preview performances this past week, Finding Neverland broke the seven-figure mark and played to over 100% capacity. The tuner joined The Book of Mormon, The Audience, Fish in the Dark and Matilda in the top five shows by capacity. It’s one of eight shows currently in previews, with several more (including—as of tonight—Something Rotten) in the wings. Another tuner opening soon, the Lincoln Center revival of The King and I, played its first full week of performances to a house just shy of 100%. We suspect that it will hit that milestone within the next few weeks (opening night is set for April 16).

Here’s a look at who was on top—and who was not—for the week ending March 22:

FRONTRUNNERS (By Gross)
1. The Lion King ($1,901,829)
2. Wicked ($1,855,247)
3. The Book of Mormon ($1,547,575)
4. Aladdin ($1,445,641)
5. Fish in the Dark ($1,192,234)

UNDERDOGS (By Gross)
5. Honeymoon in Vegas ($386,247)
4. Gigi ($331,484)****
3. The Heidi Chronicles ($329,002)*****
2. It Shoulda Been You ($293,768)***
1. Hand to God ($217,974)*

FRONTRUNNERS (By Capacity)
1. The Book of Mormon (102.63%)
2. The Audience (101.59%)******
3. Fish in the Dark (101.58%)
4. Finding Neverland (101.03%)**
5. Matilda (100.51%)

UNDERDOGS (By Capacity)
5. The Heidi Chronicles (73.29%)*****
4. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (65.70%)******
3. On the Town (57.25%)
2. Honeymoon in Vegas (56.39%)
1. It's Only a Play (54.55%)

*Number based on eight preview performances
** Number based on seven preview performances
*** Number based on six regular performances
****Number based on four preview performances
*****Number based on three preview performances and five regular performances
******Number based on seven regular performances

Source: The Broadway League