Broadway Grosses: Box Offices Sag Before Holiday Crowds Descend

As the buildup to Thanksgiving began, Broadway box offices experienced a pre-holiday sag, with most shows dropping a bit from the previous week. (Even Hugh and Daniel went down a teensy bit, though their play, A Steady Rain, is still a runaway sellout at the Schoenfeld Theatre. David Mamet’s latest, Race, got off to a strong start at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, grossing more than $500,00 in its first week of previews.

Here is a look at who was on top and who was not for the week ending November 22:

FRONTRUNNERS (By Gross)
1. Wicked ($1,430,006)
2. Billy Elliot ($1,297,066)
3. The Lion King ($1,191,066)
4. A Steady Rain (1,170,859)
5. Jersey Boys ($1,149,626)

UNDERDOGS (By Gross)
5. Superior Donuts ($222,868)
4. The Royal Family ($201,887)
3. Oleanna ($149,424)
2. In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play ($143,731)*
1. The 39 Steps ($142,276)

FRONTRUNNERS (By Capacity)
1. A Steady Rain (100.90%)
2. Jersey Boys (100.48%)
3. Hamlet (96.61%)
4. Fela! (95.53%)**
5. Billy Elliot (94.72%)

UNDERDOGS (By Capacity)
5. Shrek the Musical (57.94%)
4. White Christmas (57.33%)***
3. The 39 Steps (55.16%)
2. Superior Donuts (43.86%)
1. Oleanna (43.05%)

*Number based on three previews and five regular performances.
**Number based on seven preview performances.
***Number based on eight preview performances.
Data provided by the Broadway League.