Overview
- Box-office reports for the week ending Nov. 1 show Broadway grosses fell about 13% to $29.57 million and attendance dipped to 251,700.
- Much Ado About Nothing, led by Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell, sold out its first Broadway preview and grossed $358,262 with an average ticket price near $238.
- Other Desert Cities topped the week with roughly $2.35 million in grosses and the highest average paid ticket at $301.23.
- Billy Crystal’s solo show 860 earned about $1.35 million for the week despite three heavily comped press performances and nearly full houses.
- Industry watchers say heavy comping, concentrated preview schedules and premium pricing are driving volatility and the key question is whether preview demand will convert into sustained full-price sales through openings and the holiday season.