Ballas Boosts Broadway Box Office Past $1.5M

The production of Chicago has achieved a new box office record, grossing close to $1.5 million last week. This remarkable figure was significantly boosted by the appearance of Mark Ballas, known for his roles in "Dancing with the Stars" and "The Traitors," as Billy Flynn. He performed opposite Whitney Leavitt, who had previously starred on "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives."

With Ballas joining the cast, the average ticket price surged to $171, and the Ambassador Theatre reported 100 percent capacity. This performance metric is comparable to other successful Broadway shows. For instance, "Proof," starring Ayo Edebiri and Don Cheadle, achieved a $180 average ticket price during its previews, drawing nearly 100 percent capacity and grossing $968,774 over seven shows. "Giant," featuring John Lithgow, also saw strong sales with a $175 average ticket price, earning $1.2 million last week.

Last week saw four new productions open on Broadway, including "Becky Shaw," "Cats: The Jellicle Ball," "Death of a Salesman," and "Titanique." These openings, along with nine other shows currently in previews, led to a high volume of press tickets and fully comped opening nights. The industry anticipates nine more openings by April 26.

Among the current preview productions, "Beaches, the New Musical" experienced a decline in attendance, dropping to 67 percent capacity from 74 percent. Despite this, its total gross slightly increased to $545,770 over eight performances, with an average ticket price rise of $10. In contrast, "The Lost Boys," another new musical, has attracted a considerable audience, playing to 93 percent capacity at the Palace Theatre and generating $886,708 across seven preview performances.