‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ Previews Break Broadway Record
A Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has been long-awaited since its premiere at London’s Palace Theatre and now, though just in previews at the Lyric Theatre, has set a Broadway record with $2,138,859 gross for the week ending April 8, right as Tony season kicks into gear.
The two-part play at the Lyric Theatre has become the top-grossing play in Broadway history, even with 300 seats every performance selling $40 or less. With four previews of its first and second parts, it broke the previous record held by All the Way with $1.6 million in June 2014.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series, and the first to be presented on stage. The play will officially begin its commercial run on Broadway on April 22. The play’s original opening in London’s West End was a success, granting them nine Olivier Awards last year, including Best New Play and Best New Director. The play was written by Jack Thorne, based on an original new story by Thorne, Potter creator J.K. Rowling and John Tiffany.
Compared to musicals, Disney’s new Broadway phenomenon Frozen and long-reigning Hamilton continue to set a high bar. Frozen has racked up $2.275 million which is just shy of Hamilton, which brought in $3.142 million.
Mean Girls dropped 20% from last week, taking in $1.176 million, a decline attributed to high levels of comp for press, which will dent grosses for the week. Today, following Sunday’s opening night for the film adaptation, producers report five times normal levels of activity in the box office.
Angels in America put up strong numbers of $981,172, an increase of 5% from $933,031 last week. Its first part had three performances during the week, while its second part had four.
Total receipts for 36 shows were $42.59 million in Week 46 of the 2017-18 Broadway season, based on figures from trade group Broadway League, up a percentage from last week’s total of $42 million. Average ticket price across all shows was $129.89, down from $131.46 the week before.
If you are in New York and are looking to catch Harry Potter and the Cursed Child during previews, tickets for the week of April 7 – 13 are on sale now, here.
Did you expect a Harry Potter play to do this well on Broadway? Does it sound like something you’d be interested in watching? Let us know.
Source: Deadline
