Richard Termine for The New York Times A scene from the Broadway musical “Soul Doctor.â€Broadway’s attendance problem continued through the tourist-heavy summer months of 2013, with 8 percent fewer audience members between Memorial Day and Labor Day compared to the same period in 2012, according to data supplied by producers of Broadway shows.
The major factors appeared to be the ongoing failure of some new musical arrivals to attract big audiences - like “Soul Doctor,†“Let It Be,†and “Forever Tango†- and a lack of plays and musicals to fill several other Broadway theaters. The chronically high price of tickets may have deterred some potential theatergoers as well, though expensive tickets did help lift overall box office sales slightly in spite of the lower attendance.
Broadway plays and musicals grossed $323.7 million between Memorial Day and Labor Day, compared to $321.7 during the summer of 2012; attendance was 3,031,890 this summer, compared to 3,294,346 in the summer of 2012.
The audience decline became evident during the 2012-13 theater season, which was down 6 percent in patronage - Broadway’s worst attendance record in eight years. Hurricane Sandy was partly to blame, shuttering theaters in late October 2012 and probably depressing attendance at some shows in the weeks afterward. But a far bigger problem was a lack of popular shows, especially in the fall when musicals like “Scandalous,†“Bring It On,†and “Chaplin†did middling business or worse. Ticket sales picked up during the spring, with the musicals “Kinky Boots,†“Motown,†“Pippin,†and “Matilda†emerging as box office hits. Those shows continue to be popular, driving up box office grosses over the summer along with the reliably top-grossing musicals “The Lion King,†“Wicked,†and “The Book of Mormon.â€
One bright spot: Attendance has improved slightly in the last couple of weeks. For performances during the week ending on Sunday, attendance was up about 5 percent compared to the previous year, according to statistics released on Tuesday by the Broadway League, the trade association that compiles data from producers. “The Lion King,†“Mormon,†and “Wicked†were the top three shows in receipts last week, while the new musical “First Date†and the new production of “Romeo and Juliet†sold relatively well.
The musical “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark†continued to struggle, having its second week in a row with a gross below $1 million - unusual for a musical that is popular with families and tourists, who tend to dominate Broadway audiences during holiday weekends. And “Soul Doctor†had the lowest gross of any show running last week â€" $171,977, or 24 percent of the maximum potential gross.
Overall Broadway shows grossed $20.5 million last week, compared to $19.3 million during the comparable week in 2012. Attendance last week was 199,212, compared to 190,433 a year ago.
