Hiddleston, Atwell fill Winter Garden for Much Ado preview

Ticket buyers for the new Broadway production of Much Ado About Nothing paid an average of $238 to see Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell in the lead roles. That price point placed the play second in the industry for average ticket cost during the week of its first preview. The performance, directed by Jamie Lloyd, transferred directly from a London run to New York and played to a 100 percent full house at the Winter Garden Theatre.

The single preview showing generated $358,262 in ticket sales. This figure positions the production to become one of the top weekly grossers if pricing remains steady. The full opening night is scheduled for November 19.

In the wider weekly box office, Other Desert Cities retained the top spot for total earnings. The play starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Allison Janney, and Joe Keery brought in $2.35 million. It also recorded the highest average ticket price on Broadway that week at $301, a new personal best for the production.

Hamilton followed in second place with weekly earnings of $2.31 million. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child earned $1.63 million, while the musical MJ took in $1.61 million. The Lion King reported grosses of $1.56 million. Billy Crystal’s solo show, 860, ranked sixth with $1.35 million, a total that included heavily comped press performances.

Another new entrant, A Few Good Men, starring Bradley Whitford and Tom Blyth, brought in nearly $1.3 million. The show played to 100 percent capacity during the week, although opening night and several press tickets were provided at no cost. Reviews for the adaptation have been mixed to date.

Despite the launch of these new titles, overall Broadway grosses fell by 13 percent for the week. Attendance figures decreased by 4 percent. Industry analysts attributed the decline to seasonal competition from Halloween and the New York City Marathon, which diverted local and tourist audiences from the theater district.

Established shows also saw shifts in their numbers. The play Downstate saw occupancy drop from 94 percent to 87 percent as it expanded its schedule from six to eight performances per week. It generated $275,085 before its official opening on November 15. The musical Wanted experienced a similar dip, with attendance falling from 93 percent to 82 percent and weekly grosses dropping to $508,919 ahead of its November 8 opening.