The Stage

Broadway revenue up on last season

Published Monday 21 June 2004 at 16:10 by Judd Hollander

According to figures released by the League of American Theatres and Producers, Broadway showed a small increase for the 2003/04 theatre season, taking just over $771 million at the box office - up from just over $720 million in 2002-2003.

This figure, however, can be at least partially attributed to the rising costs of the average Broadway ticket and the fact that the latest season had 53 weeks instead of the usual 52.

The most important figure, in terms of audience growth, came with the announcement that overall Broadway attendance increased from 11.42 million to 11.6 million. A total of 39 new shows opened in 2003/04 - up from 36 the previous year - but only two have recouped their initial investment and can be classified as hits. They were Avenue Q and the now-shuttered revival of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which starred Ashley Judd.

There were 11 official flops, including the Rosie O’Donnell-produced musical Taboo, the 2003 Pulitzer Prize-winner Anna in the Tropics and The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All, which closed on its opening night. The Farrah Fawcett vehicle Bobbi Boland didn’t even make it that far, closing in previews. It was the first Broadway show to do so since 1993. Of the remaining shows which opened, 12 were classified as ‘non-profit’ or ‘miscellaneous’ vehicles and the status of 13 is still undetermined.

There were 12 new plays and ten new revivals last year - the first time new works were in the majority since 2000/01 - plus eight new musicals and five musical revivals.

Jed Bernstein, president of the League of American Theatres and Producers, noted in a statement announcing the year-end total: “Once again Broadway has provided 11 and a half million audience members with 39 new productions, which represent a wide variety of entertainment with broad appeal. The range of subject matter this year makes a wonderful source of entertainment for new audiences.”