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With this week, Broadway officially begins the 2014-15 season. It put its best foot forward by posting a collective box office of $27,903,041, which is nearly five million better than last season's tally for the same week. Attendance was 274,339, roughly 50,000 more than last year. It's certainly helped that there are currently 35 show playing at present. Last year at this time there were only 27.
All the Way, the Lyndon Johnson history play starring Bryan Cranston, fell from its record attendance and box-office numbers of the past two weeks, playing to houses that were 71% full and taking its 67% of its possible share of ducats. Last week, it played to capacity crowds of 109.56%.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch bested all shows in terms of box office, raking in a full 117.36% of its possible take. That number just barely topped the usual champion, The Book of Mormon. It almost trumped Mormon in the attendance department as well, playing to houses 102.31% filled.
A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder continued its winning streak, playing to capacity crowds again this week. The musical was the recipient of more Tony nominations than any other, and it will be interesting to see if the musical can keep this up post-ceremony, particularly if it doesn't walk away with the top prize. Also enjoying full houses were A Raisin in the Sun, Aladdin and Beautiful. Wicked posted a noticeably high box-office number: 107%; as did Raisin: 108%.
Box-office-wise, new musicals Violet and Rocky were not faring well, both taking in around half of the dollars they might. The average ticket price for Violet, $76.60, was the second-to-lowest of any Broadway musical. (Newsies was lowest, though it performed far better in terms of overall box office and attendance.)