Big Grosses for Bruce Springsteen as Broadway Run Begins

Photo

Not bad for a first week on the job: Bruce Springsteen’s Broadway show raked in $2.33 million last week from just five performances, an astonishingly strong financial performance fueled by high ticket prices.

“Springsteen on Broadway,” an evening of singing and storytelling, grossed more than 26 other shows, many of which were performed eight times last week, including the long-running hits “The Lion King” and “Wicked,” according to figures released Tuesday by the Broadway League. The only shows to bring in more money than Springsteen last week were “Hamilton” ($2.93 million over eight performances) and “Hello, Dolly!” ($2.35 million over eight performances).

Even more striking than the overall gross was the average ticket price at the Springsteen show: $497. That’s extraordinarily high for Broadway — the average price last week at “Hamilton” was $272, and the average price for all shows was $129.

The Springsteen prices on Broadway — many seats were sold for $850 each — are significantly higher than for many seats at his concerts, but offer a rare chance to see him in a relatively intimate setting: the Walter Kerr Theater, configured with 939 seats. And the run is limited: Performances began Oct. 3 and are scheduled to end Feb. 3.

The run is sold out, although some discounted tickets are still available by digital lottery, and resellers are offering some seats at high markups.

Overall, the week ending Oct. 8 was a strong one for Broadway, thanks to the Columbus Day weekend and the start of previews at several fall shows. The 29 productions running last week grossed $30 million, up from $23 million for 24 shows the week before, contributing to what is shaping up to be a banner season on Broadway: Overall grosses are up 20 percent over last season thus far, and attendance is up 6 percent.

Continue reading the main story