Broadway Grosses: New Shows Rise as Season Speeds to a Close

Hang on to your hats: Eight Broadway productions are set to open in the final two weeks of the season (yeah, we’re busy!) with a total of 34 shows running as of May 1, 2010. Several newbies are rising above the pack: The well-reviewed new play Red (with Alfred Molina as artist Mark Rothko) and revival of August Wilson’s Fences (starring Denzel Washington) pushed their way onto the frontrunners’ list for capacity, and The Addams Family has settled in the frontrunners’ list for grosses at more than $1.2 million. Barely missing the top five box office hits is the previewing Promises, Promises, which pulled in a very healthy $988,313.

Here is a look at who was on top and who was not for the week ending April 18:

FRONTRUNNERS (By Gross)
1. Wicked ($1,561,198)
2. The Lion King ($1,378,187)
3. The Addams Family (1,261,490)
4. Billy Elliot ($1,179,397)
5. Jersey Boys ($1,042,614)

UNDERDOGS (By Gross)
5. Next to Normal ($322,117)
4. Enron ($321,675)*
3. God of Carnage ($320,790)
2. Next Fall ($165,164)
1. Collected Stories ($134,456)*

FRONTRUNNERS (By Capacity)
1. Wicked (99.86%)
2. Billy Elliot (98.47%)
3. Red (98.26%)
4. Fences (97.90%)**
5. The Lion King (97.76%)

UNDERDOGS (By Capacity)
5. Enron (60.46%)*
4. Collected Stories (60.19%)*
3. Next Fall (59.42%)
2. Hair (53.57%)
1. Race (53.38%)

*Number based on eight preview performances.
**Number based on six preview performances.
Data provided by the Broadway League.