Superstorm Sandy took a bite out of Broadway earnings for the week.(Photo: Charles Sykes AP)
As expected, the super-storm that
struck New York last week also had an impact on Broadway box office.
With productions forced to cancel one or several performances, and
transportation problematic for both locals and tourists, ticket sales
dropped, resulting in a gross of $13.6 million for the week ending Nov.
4, according to the Broadway League -- $6.5 million less than the
previous week.
League executive director Charlotte St. Martin had told USA TODAY a week ago
that she expected to take a hit, particularly since a few shows that
aren't normally staged on Sundays and/or Mondays had scheduled special
performances on those dates to compensate for staying dark on Halloween.
Even hit musicals such as Wicked and Nice Work If You Can Get It suffered, the former seeing its grosses dip more than $490,000 and the latter more than $538,000.
Shows that were affected less include, predictably, the enduring smash The Book of Mormon, which was sold out as usual, and the much-anticipated new production of Glengarry Glen Ross,
which grossed $744,703, more than any other straight play -- but also
saw its opening date pushed back nearly a month by Sandy.
USA Today