Records were smashed across the board in a week that included both Christmas Day and New Year's Eve, with Broadway theatergoers creating the highest overall gross of any week in recorded history $29.1 million and the highest attendance in history 314,310. Paid attendance was up 11 percent from the same week last season. Of a total 30 shows playing on Broadway, 22 houses sold more than 90% of available seats, with 10 of those shows reporting a capacity of 100% or better. Indeed, perennial chart-toppers Wicked and Jersey Boys were knocked out of the top five for capacity even though both ran at 100% or better by tourist-friendly titles Les Miserables, Spamalot, The Phantom of the Opera, A Chorus Line and Chicago. But don't cry for Elphaba or Frankie Valli: With a box office take for the week of more than $1.8 million, Wicked became the highest grossing show in Broadway history, and Jersey Boys broke its own weekly record with a gross of $1.2 million. Remarkably, both shows hit those heights with their usual eight performances; 14 shows managed to squeeze in a ninth performance during the holiday week, perhaps inspired by the stellar numbers being posted by Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which continued its schedule of 12 shows a week. Among the musicals setting records for the best week ever at their respective theaters were The Drowsy Chaperone, Mamma Mia!, and the Disney trifecta of The Lion King, Tarzan and Beauty and the Beast.
Here is a look at who was on top and who was not for the week ending December 31:
UNDERDOGS By Capacity
5. Company 87.26%
4. Spring Awakening 84.22%**
3. The Color Purple 84.07%**
2. The Vertical Hour 82.34%**
1. The Little Dog Laughed 63.48%
*Number based on 12 regular performances.
**Number based on 9 regular performances.
Data provided by The League of American Theatres and Producers.
