George Clooney play, star-powered Othello break Broadway box-office records

NEW YORK – Broadway box-office records are falling like dominoes this season as a handful of starry plays entice fans to pay sky-high ticket prices to see their favourite movie stars up close and emoting.

Good Night, And Good Luck, a new play starring Hollywood actor George Clooney, grossed US$3.3 million (S$4.4 million) last week, the most money a non-musical play has ever made during a single week on Broadway, according to data released on March 25 by the Broadway League.

And it did so with just a seven-performance week: It is still in previews – opening night is April 10 – and not yet doing Broadway’s typical eight.

It shattered the previous record, which was set just two weeks earlier by a new production of Shakespeare’s Othello starring American actors Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, which grossed US$2.8 million in the week that ended March 9. (Before that, the record had been held by Harry Potter And The Cursed Child, which grossed US$2.7 million during a holiday week in late 2023.)

Othello still has higher ticket prices – its top seats were being sold on its website for US$921, compared with US$799 for Good Night, And Good Luck – but the latter is playing in a larger theatre, so it is taking in more money overall.

The average ticket price for Othello was US$303.15 last week – down from previous weeks because of free seats for journalists attending press performances and guests attending opening night.

The average price for Good Night, And Good Luck was US$302.07. But Good Night, And Good Luck, which is adapted from the 2005 movie about broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow, is playing in the 1,545-seat Winter Garden Theatre, while Othello is in the 1,043-seat Ethel Barrymore Theatre.

Broadway’s box office has traditionally been dominated by musicals, which tend to be more popular, to play longer and to run in larger theatres than plays. The record for the most money made by a Broadway musical was set in late 2024, when Wicked grossed US$5 million during a Christmas week when there were nine performances.

But the cost of producing Broadway shows has risen significantly since the Covid-19 pandemic, and almost all new musicals are failing financially, which has led some producers to focus on limited runs of plays with well-known stars in lead roles.

The rationale is that celebrities turn plays into events, while limited runs create a sense of urgency, and that those factors combined prompt potential ticket buyers to act.

The results, at least for the moment, are inarguable: Costing up to US$9.5 million to capitalise, Good Night, And Good Luck last week outgrossed all other shows, including Wicked, Hamilton and The Lion King. (No worries for those shows, though – they have each grossed billions of dollars over time and are still doing just fine.)

Another starry play revival, Glengarry Glen Ross featuring Bill Burr, Kieran Culkin and Bob Odenkirk, is also off to a very strong start, grossing US$2.1 million last week, with an average ticket price of US$204.40.

Such huge numbers, for shows that had not yet been reviewed and were selling briskly long before anyone had seen it, come at a time when prices for the most-sought-after pop concerts and sporting events are also quite high.

At its peak, Hamilton charged US$998 for the best seats during holiday weeks, and at one point, a revival of Hello, Dolly! charged US$998 for front-row seats, which allowed fans of veteran American actress-singer Bette Midler the possibility of being brushed by her glove as she strolled along a passerelle.

But Othello, which opened on March 23 and was capitalised for up to US$9 million, is distinguished by the large number of seats being sold at the highest prices, which is driving up its average ticket price.

At many upcoming performances staged at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre during its 15-week run, the show is asking US$921 for the first 14 rows in the centre orchestra, and for much of the first two rows in the front mezzanine.

Othello, like others, uses variable pricing – prices are higher for the most-desired seats at the most-desired times.

Early in previews, the top price was US$897, and there are some future performances at which the top price is US$721. The show reported a lowest regular ticket price of US$197 in early March, and at every performance, there are some partial-view seats made available via an online lottery for US$49.

With many movie and television stars appearing on New York stages this season, a number of shows have been charging high prices for their best tickets.

A production of Romeo + Juliet, starring Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler, sold well throughout its 20-week run, which ended just eight days before Othello began.

During most weeks, the top ticket price for Romeo + Juliet was US$574.50, but it sold some seats for US$974.50 during the Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s weeks, and it charged US$1,478.50 for some seats during its final week. But its average ticket price was substantially lower than that for Othello, peaking at US$225.07 during its final week, and often much lower.

“Shows like Othello that are limited-run star vehicles do so much to build the brand of Broadway, and they are a unique part of the ecosystem,” said Ms Deeksha Gaur, executive director of TDF, a non-profit that tries to make theatre more accessible and that oversees the TKTS discount theatre booths.

“At the same time, it’s important for us as an industry to think about making sure people are aware of all the price points available to audiences – there is a huge range of shows available to audiences, and we’re not hearing that.”

She pointed out that, during the week ending on March 9, 10 of the 26 shows running on Broadway had an average ticket price under US$100 (the average price for all shows combined was US$120), and she said that 21 of the 26 shows had at least one performance for sale at the TKTS booths, where last-minute tickets are sold for up to 50 per cent off. NYTIMES