Broadway Grosses: Ballet Superstar Misty Copeland Brings Box Office Bump to On the Town
A new Miss Turnstiles has crowds turning to On the Town. American Ballet Theatre prima ballerina Misty Copeland began performances as Ivy Smith in the Broadway revival on August 25, and in her first week at the Lyric Theatre, the show rose to 79.7% capacity in the colossal Lyric Theatre and grossed $914,434—more than $500,000 more than the previous week. These numbers will allow the dance tuner to end on a high note; the production is set to close on September 6. Elsewhere, most shows took a light dip in revenue, with usual suspects The Lion King, Aladdin, Hamilton, Wicked and The Book of Mormon securing the top five spots by gross. Meanwhile, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder is approaching its third fall season at the Walter Kerr Theatre, and its numbers may need to climb to stay put. The musical celebrated its 2014 Tony win with a sizable box office boost, but has taken in around 50% of its potential in recent weeks.
Here’s a look at who was on top—and who was not—for the week ending August 30:
FRONTRUNNERS (By Gross)
1. The Lion King ($1,835,217)
2. Aladdin ($1,582,804)
3. Hamilton ($1,548,928)
4. Wicked ($1,492,152)
5. The Book of Mormon ($1,420,003)
UNDERDOGS (By Gross)
5. Chicago ($508,839)
4. A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder ($475,706)
3. Hedwig and the Angry Inch ($394,709)*
2. Amazing Grace ($286,912)
1. Hand to God ($245,469)
FRONTRUNNERS (By Capacity)
1. The Book of Mormon (101.72%)
2. Hamilton (101.34%)
3. Mamma Mia! (99.50%)
4. Fun Home (98.97%)
5. Aladdin (97.62%)
UNDERDOGS (By Capacity)
5. The Phantom of the Opera (72.24%)
4. Hedwig and the Angry Inch (72.17%)*
3. Jersey Boys (61.09%)
2. Hand to God (58.65%)
1. Amazing Grace (51.99%)
* Number based on seven regular performances
Source: The Broadway League
