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Mauritius Opens on Broadway
Broadway Ticket Sales Report Week ending October 7, 2007
By Carol-Ann Rudy
Mauritius by playwright Theresa Rebeck opened Oct. 4 at the Biltmore Theatre, and while it took the Pulitzer Prize finalist ten tries to get to Broadway, with this play she proves she belongs there.
This production, which has drawn some comparisons to David Mamet’s American Buffalo and has been called a “sinister comedy,” marks the only offering on Broadway this season by a female playwright.
Directed by Doug Hughes, the play tells the tale of two avaricious sisters, bound to outdo each other and three con men for possession of two valuable stamps.
The Biltmore Theatre, incidentally, is the nonprofit Manhattan Theatre Club’s Broadway venue and has made it possible for some American playwrights to make their Broadway debut.
The much-heralded production Young Frankenstein opens to previews Thursday, October 11. The Opening Night is slated for Nov. 8.
A Bronx Tale is in previews at the Walter Kerr Theatre and opens Oct. 25.
Looking at the numbers for the past week, the usual gallery lines up:
• Wicked, $1,398,878 at 98% capacity
• Jersey Boys, $1,271,529 at 100%
• The Lion King, $1,171,460 at 96%
• Mary Poppins, $963,876 at 85%.
• Mamma Mia!, $954,077 at 96% capacity.
This past week’s total box office receipts were $16,044,883, compared to the previous week’s $14,329,577. No theatre had less than 59% attendance (The Drowsy Chaperone). The season to date has grossed $331,893,764 compared to an anemic $308,652,701 for the previous season to date.
Rent saw a happy 19% increase in attendance over the previous week with a corresponding increase of $119,421 in box office receipts. Legally Blonde followed close behind with a 15% increase, translating to $151,165 more in the till.
Xanadu saw a precipitous drop in attendance, 14.8%, and a drop in ticket sales amounting to $32,061 difference.
Broadway Gross Reports, October 7, 2007
All data provided by The League of American Theatres and Producers
Production | Weekly Gross | Total Atten. | Prev. | Perf. | Total Capacity | Avg. Ticket Price | Atten. % |
A Bronx Tale | $146,469 | 2,623 | 4 | 0 | 947 | $55.84 | 69.2% |
A Chorus Line | $509,779 | 7,011 | 0 | 8 | 1,069 | $72.71 | 82.0% |
Avenue Q | $350,869 | 4,836 | 0 | 8 | 796 | $72.55 | 75.9% |
Chicago | $493,359 | 6,673 | 0 | 8 | 1,080 | $73.93 | 77.2% |
Curtains | $790,024 | 9,472 | 0 | 8 | 1,422 | $83.41 | 83.3% |
Grease | $804,997 | 8,024 | 0 | 8 | 1,072 | $100.32 | 93.6% |
Hairspray | $802,312 | 10,385 | 0 | 8 | 1,428 | $77.26 | 90.9% |
Jersey Boys | $1,271,529 | 9,848 | 0 | 8 | 1,222 | $129.12 | 100.7% |
Legally Blonde | $793,882 | 10,685 | 0 | 8 | 1,691 | $74.30 | 79.0% |
Les Miserables | $460,746 | 7,165 | 0 | 8 | 1,122 | $64.31 | 79.8% |
Mamma Mia! | $954,077 | 11,595 | 0 | 8 | 1,498 | $82.28 | 96.8% |
Mary Poppins | $963,876 | 12,177 | 0 | 8 | 1,791 | $79.16 | 85.0% |
Mauritius | $193,985 | 3,537 | 3 | 5 | 650 | $54.84 | 68.0% |
Pygmalion | $287,429 | 5,521 | 8 | 0 | 740 | $52.06 | 93.3% |
Rent | $454,535 | 7,997 | 0 | 8 | 1,181 | $56.84 | 84.6% |
Spamalot | $682,048 | 8,997 | 0 | 8 | 1,441 | $75.81 | 78.0% |
Spring Awakening | $736,291 | 8,475 | 0 | 8 | 1,090 | $86.88 | 97.2% |
The 25th…Bee | $208,828 | 3,873 | 0 | 8 | 684 | $53.92 | 70.8% |
The Color Purple | $872,163 | 11,478 | 0 | 8 | 1,718 | $75.99 | 83.5% |
The Drowsy Chaperone | $515,766 | 7,648 | 0 | 8 | 1,611 | $67.44 | 59.3% |
The Lion King | $1,171,460 | 12,718 | 0 | 8 | 1,654 | $92.11 | 96.1% |
The Phantom of the Opera | $648,198 | 9,706 | 0 | 8 | 1,607 | $66.78 | 75.5% |
The Ritz | $292,611 | 6,723 | 8 | 0 | 1,006 | $43.52 | 83.5% |
Wicked | $1,398,878 | 14,265 | 0 | 8 | 1,809 | $98.06 | 98.6% |
Xanadu | $240,772 | 2,861 | 0 | 8 | 596 | $84.16 | 60.0% |
