Broadway Grosses: The Audience Maintains Regal Presence Over Easter Weekend; Kid-Friendly Hits Celebrate Boost

While the Queen celebrated Easter in the traditional fashion this weekend, the Queen of Broadway celebrated in her own way. The Audience, starring Dame Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II, broke the million dollar mark in seven performances for the fourth week in a row. The play continues to play over capacity, as it has for six out of seven full weeks of performances. Meanwhile, the holiday weekend was once again a goldmine for family shows, with The Lion King, Aladdin and Wicked adding an extra performance and surpassing $2 million. Joining them in the top five were fellow family hit Matilda and the not-so-family-friendly The Book of Mormon. The Phantom of the Opera also celebrated a remarkable week, having hit seven figures in an eight-performance week for the first time this year.

Here’s a look at who was on top—and who was not—for the week ending April 5:

FRONTRUNNERS (By Gross)
1. The Lion King ($2,633,531)*
2. Wicked ($2,358,372)*
3. Aladdin ($2,024,667)*
4. The Book of Mormon ($1,517,640)
5. Matilda ($1,416,637)

UNDERDOGS (By Gross)
5. The Heidi Chronicles ($275,393)
4. The Visit ($214,803)***
3. Hand to God ($213,302)***
2. Living on Love ($126,172)*****
1. Airline Highway ($90,799)****

FRONTRUNNERS (By Capacity)
1. The Book of Mormon (102.61%)
2. Fish in the Dark (101.58%)
3. Matilda (100.32%)
4. The Audience (100.29%)**
5. Aladdin (100.01%)

UNDERDOGS (By Capacity)
5. It Shoulda Been You (69.95%)***
4. Airline Highway (69.62%)****
3. On the Town (63.15%)
2. Honeymoon in Vegas (58.38%)
1. The Heidi Chronicles (49.88%)

* Number based on nine regular performances
** Number based on seven regular performances
*** Number based on eight preview performances
**** Number based on six preview performances
***** Number based on five preview performances

Source: The Broadway League