The blockbuster musical “Wicked†set a new box office record for all of Broadway last week, grossing $2,947,172 for nine performances between Christmas and New Year's Eve, using $300 premium tickets to edge out the previous all-time record set by “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark†last season.
The now-widespread practice of charging premium prices to the hordes of holiday tourists helped at least eight other Broadway shows set records at their theaters last week, the most lucrative time of the year for commercial productions. Among them were “The Phantom of the Opera†with $1,751,458, a hardy accomplishment given that the show has held more than 10,000 performances and is celebrating its 25th anniversary on Broadway this mon th. (To be sure, “Phantom†tends to boom only when tourists are in town.)
The other musicals that announced new records were, in order from the highest gross, “The Lion King,†“The Book of Mormon,†“Annie,†“A Christmas Story,†“Once,†“Newsies,†and “Rock of Ages.†The Al Pacino-led revival of the play “Glengarry Glen Ross†set a new record of $1.23 million for just seven performances, meanwhile.
“Wicked†also ended 2012 as the highest-grossing Broadway show for the ninth consecutive year, according to a statement from the show's press representative. The musical, a sort of “Wizard of Oz†prequel focusing on the witches, has held that No. 1 title since 2004, its first full year running on Broadway.
The previous single-week record by “Spider-Man†was $2,941,794; last week, by comparison, the show grossed $2,716,990.
Not all shows fared well this holiday season. Several plays, which are generally less pop ular with tourists than musicals, had seats to spare, including “Picnic,†“The Other Place,†“Dead Accounts,†“Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?†and “The Heiress.â€
Overall Broadway musicals and plays grossed $37.44 million last week, compared to $37.66 million during the same week last season.
