The average ticket price for “Othello” was $303.15 last week — down from previous weeks because of free seats for journalists attending press performances and guests attending opening night. The average price for “Good Night, and Good Luck” was $302.07. But “Good Night, and Good Luck,” which is adapted from the 2005 movie about the broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow, is playing in the 1,545-seat Winter Garden Theater, while “Othello” is in the 1,043-seat Ethel Barrymore.
Broadway’s box office has traditionally been dominated by musicals, which tend to be more popular, to play longer, and to run in larger theaters than plays. The record for the most money made by a Broadway musical was set late last year, when “Wicked” grossed $5 million during a Christmas week when there were nine performances.
But the cost of producing Broadway shows has risen significantly since the pandemic, and almost all new musicals are failing financially, which has led some producers to focus on limited runs of plays with well-known stars in lead roles. The rationale is that celebrities turn plays into events, while limited runs create a sense of urgency, and that those factors combined prompt potential ticket buyers to act.
The results, at least for the moment, are inarguable: “Good Night, and Good Luck” last week outgrossed all other shows, including “Wicked,” “Hamilton” and “The Lion King.” (No worries for those shows, though — they have each grossed billions of dollars over time and are still doing just fine.)
Another starry play revival, “Glengarry Glen Ross,” which features Bill Burr, Kieran Culkin and Bob Odenkirk, is also off to a very strong start, grossing $2.1 million last week, with an average ticket price of $204.40.
