Tony Nominations See Big Box Office Boost, Lack of Broadcast May Not Hurt As Predicted

in Entertainment, Theater

Annaleigh Ashford and Josh Groban as Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd

Annaleigh Ashford and Josh Groban as Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd

Broadway box office sales saw huge gains this week following the announcement of the Tony Award nominations on May 2.

Shucked, which got nine nominations, the most of any show this year, grossed $712,755 and filled 94% of seats at the Nederlander, a $92,000 gain from last week. Sweeney Todd, which follows close behind with eight nominations, broke the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre’s house record with $1,840,997 over seven performances.

Some Like It Hot, Kimberly Akimbo, Parade, and Leopoldstadt also reported significant increases.

shane mcnally brandy clark and robert horn in tony nominated shucked
Credit: Shucked

Related: SNL, Tony Awards, & More Could Be Cancelled Due to Strike

The biggest gain, however, was for a show that was notably shut out of the nominations: Bob Fosse’s Dancin’, which closes at the end of the week, grossed nearly $200,000 more than it had the previous week.

The only Broadway show that didn’t do exceptionally well this week was Peter Pan Goes Wrong, which saw tremendous losses after the departure of headliner Neil Patrick Harris.

Much of Broadway and its devotees are dismayed since it was announced that the Tony Awards would not be broadcast this year due to the writers’ strike. Since most shows that perform at the Tonys see considerable sales boost immediately after the broadcast, many are worried that the lack of widespread advertisement could lead to a sub-par year for the New York theatre scene.

Annaleigh Ashford and Josh Groban performing A Little Priest in Sweeney Todd on Broadway
Credit: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

Related: Josh Groban Replaces Johnny Depp in His Darkest Role: How Did He Do In ‘Sweeney Todd’?

In a year where the industry is still recovering from the blow dealt when the COVID-19 pandemic forced all Broadway productions to shut their doors, this could spell disaster for many shows, especially those that are unknown and depend on the Tony Awards broadcast to get the word out about their stories and garner interest.

However, while all of this is a serious concern, one has to look at this small preview of a sales jump and wonder: How much of the boost is due to the broadcast, and how much is due to the distinction of being regarded by the American Theatre Wing?

Nobody can undercut how enchanting it is to see a live performance. The fun and energy of it cannot compare to reading a summary or listening to cast recordings (if they are available.) The Tony Awards are, perhaps, the one major awards ceremony that is truly necessary and important to the industry.

Related: Corbin Bleu Proves He’s Still Got It at Broadway Backwards

However, in a world where social media exists and shows can just as quickly advertise by putting clips of their plays out online at any time, it may just be that the list of Tony Award winners will be enough to goose ticket sales.

Yes, there will inevitably be losses when the broadcast does not preempt existing programming that people were already watching. However, based on what we’ve seen this week, it seems possible that Broadway will still see a major boost in sales the week after the Tonys are awarded – even absent a national show.

At the very least, there is room for some cautious optimism on the subject.

Are you going to miss the Tonys this year? Have you looked at going to any Broadway shows? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

in Entertainment, Theater

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