“Leopoldstadt” and “Kimberly Akimbo,” two shows that won top Tony Awards last week, saw big bumps at the box office in the days following that ceremony.
The surge for the award-winning show, which has so far outpaced modest growth at the box office, supports the industry’s argument for Hollywood striking screenwriters that a Tony Awards telecast could play a key role in keeping the struggling show afloat. Is. “Kimberly Akimbo,” especially needed a boost; Despite strong reviews, it was soft at the box office.
“Leopoldstadt,” a heart-wrenching play by Tom Stoppard about the effects of the Holocaust on a Jewish family in Vienna, was the biggest help: The show won the Tony Award for Best New Play on June 11, and its earnings for the week That ended June 18 was up 42 percent from the previous week. The gross got the biggest boost from the fast-approaching end of the show’s run on July 2.
“Kimberly Akimbo,” a quirky show about a high school student with a life-threatening genetic condition and comically dysfunctional home life, surged 32 percent at the box office after winning the award for best new musical. Hui. The show, written by David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori, played to full houses during the week, which had not been the case before.
“After this win, I’m like, ‘I want to see this before it’s gone, just because it won a Tony,'” said Brad Steinmeier, 30, who came from Colorado and bought tickets to watch the Tony Award win. Were- Actor in “Kimberly Akimbo” on Saturday.
Rhys Williams, 27, a theater actor from New York City, also said that watching the Tony Awards made him decide to buy tickets to the show.
“It made it something I didn’t want to miss,” he said.
Overall, Broadway earnings increased 6 percent last week, reflecting some combination of recovery from the smoke effects of last week’s wildfires, the slow build-up to the summer tourist season, and the awards ceremony and attendant media coverage. Due to increased awareness of Broadway shows.
Other Tony-nominated musicals also saw improvements after their appearances on the telecast, including the corn-themed country-music show “Shucked”, which was up 23 percent; “And Juliet,” a revisionist set to hit “Romeo and Juliet,” was up 18 percent; “New York, New York,” about two musicians making their way in a post-World War II city, was up 17 percent; and “Some Like It Hot,” which was up 10 percent.
“Parade,” which won a Tony Award for best musical revival, was also up 10 percent. The show is about the lynching of a Jewish businessman in Georgia in the early 20th century.
Among dramas, Jodie Comer, lead actress of “Prima Facial”, won a Tony; On Tuesday, producers announced that the play had achieved the rare feat of recouping its capitalization cost, which was $4.1 million, and meant it would start turning a profit in the days before it closed on July 2. . But “Peter Pan Goes Wrong,” a madcap comedy that had no Tony Awards appearance, was even higher — 22 percent — as a reminder of Gross’s arbitrariness.
Performing at the Tony Awards only paid off for the Neil Diamond musical “A Beautiful Noise”, which was not nominated for any awards, and after its cast performed a solo version of “Sweet Caroline”. The box office declined by 11 percent. on broadcast.
Meanwhile, “Life of Pi,” adapted from the best-selling novel that was also being developed into a movie, announced Tuesday that it will end its run on July 23. The play came from London after winning the Olivier Award for Best New. play, and it received generally positive reviews opening in New York on March 30, but never caught on with audiences. It garnered three Tony Awards for design, but was not nominated in the Best Play category; A North American tour is planned.
