Broadway Smashes Records to End 2016

A lot of people have talked about being glad that 2016 is over. It’s been a year full of infamous events and dismaying news. However, for those on Broadway, the year ended with a bang and made everyone feel optimistic going forward in 2017. A number of records were set and there was a box office boom to end the year.

Reports from New York show that almost all of the 33 shows playing as the year came to a close did very well. All told, they brought in about $49,531,578 in that one week. The Christmas weekend had been a letdown, but the sales jumped by an incredible $19 million in just a single week. When looking at the same week from the end of 2015, the box office numbers were up by $6 million.

Why did it happen? A lot of factors fell just right. The light attendance the week before may have helped, if people put off going. The mild weather also helped; in years with a harsh winter storm, people tend to stay inside. Prices were at a premium, which also increased earnings, and the plays offered extra performances since people were out of work and school for the holidays.

Some of the shows set their own personal bests. For example, “Jersey Boys” put on nine shows that brought in $1,778,189. The show has never had that good of a week in its history, at least not on Broadway. “Chicago” also did very well, earning $1,248,473. It was also performed nine times. That’s the best week “Chicago” has ever done, and it’s been on the stage for two decades.

Even shows that have performed well in the past did even better during this stellar week. “The Lion King” has been on Broadway for 19 years now, and it had never made $3 million in just one week — which it did in the last week of 2016. Like the other two noted above, there were nine shows in that week.

A few other shows that put up high marks were as follows:

— “Paramour” with $1,908,018.
— “Something Rotten!” with $1,478,302.
— “Matilda” with $1,902,366.
— “Waitress” with $1,331,954.
— “A Bronx Tale” with $1,293,145.

One show that went all out during the week was “The Illusionists.” It was performed as astounding 17 times, and it made $2,397,106.

With numbers like this in the books, you can see that 2017 should be a very good year for the theatre. Get your Broadway tickets from us today, and be part of the magic!

When Should You Go to the Theatre?

You’re planning a trip to the theatre, deciding what show you want to see, looking for the best tickets, and getting your schedule in place. But is there a best time to go to the theatre?

Opinions on this vary, but below are a few things you may want to consider:

Opening Night May Have the Most Excitement

If you’re looking for energy and excitement, you’re going to find it when the show opens. They’ve been preparing for this for months. It’s all been practice until now, when the curtain finally goes up. The actors will be thrilled to finally do it for real, and some people love the way this transforms the show.

Waiting to see the show for a few weeks or months, depending on how long it runs, can mean that the actors are getting bored with it. Some may have left and been replaced by different cast members. The attitude can change. Some argue that this can make the play feel more flat than it would have on opening night. Think about how bands that have been playing their one big hit for 20 years feel, and you’ll understand why this happens.

Later Performances Are More Polished

On the other hand, waiting to go see the show means that the actors and actresses have time to iron out all of the problems. The show becomes more polished. Mistakes are made and then avoided. People learn how to work with each other and what it’s like to be under the lights for real, not just for rehearsal. This is mostly true with actors who are starting out, but it can be true for everyone. Some have argued that plays get better with time and they’ve even suggested that reviewers should wait a few days so that they can review a play without the opening-day mistakes.

Opening day seems to have the most excitement and energy, though. But it can also be nervous energy. It can lead to mistakes. Actors will settle in after a few performances and things can improve. Having the most energy doesn’t always mean giving the best performance.

Other Considerations

There are plenty of other things you want to keep in mind, such as:

— Weekend shows may draw bigger crowds.
— The same is true for shows in the evening, rather than during the day.
— Actors may be influenced by good or bad reviews, meaning you’ll see the truest version of the play before the reviews come out.
— If there are two showings in one day, the second one could have tired actors — but it also could have fewer mistakes, since they had a run-through already.

Buy Your Tickets

No matter when you want to go, we have excellent ticket deals here at Headline Tickets. Use us for all of your theatre needs!

Kristin Chenoweth to Star in “My Love Letter to Broadway”

Kristin Chenoweth will be coming to the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre in New York. She’s going to take the stage for a dozen productions of “My Love Letter to Broadway.”

Chenoweth, who is just under five feet tall, is known for her incredible signing ability. She’s going to do “Rose’s Turn” in the upcoming production. She’s also performed Stephen Sondheim’s “Losing My Mind” and the Les Misérables favorite “Bring Him Home.”

Perhaps the most famous stage role she’s ever had was in “Wicked,” where she played Glinda. She won a Tony for her performance in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”

Her experience is not limited to the stage, though. She was born in 1968 and has been working in this industry for a long time, getting into both movies and TV. She was in “Bewitched,” “The Pink Panther,” and, fittingly, the most recent Peanuts movie. She’s currently filming a show called “American Gods” and doing voice acting for the upcoming “My Little Pony” movie.

The voice acting credits help to show why she’s so successful on Broadway. The same ability that she has to portray multiple characters in animated films helps her on stage, where there are no close-up shots and the vocal work is so important. In the movies, there are plenty of ways for the film to be shot to enhance a performance. In animated movies, though, the vocal work has to stand on its own. Certainly, her experience with singing on stage, where the acting can’t be fixed in post-production and every line has to be perfect, has helped her become so prolific.

She now has over 200 credits to her name in the film industry, yet many will tell you that her stage work is what shines most. Clearly, “Wicked” was a smash hit in a way that almost no one anticipated, and her role had a lot to do with that. She has proven that she has versatility, range, and all-around talent, and she’ll bring all of this to the Lunt-Fontanne with “My Love Letter to Broadway.”

Here at Headline Tickets, we can hook you up with tickets to the hottest Broadway shows, even those with a prolific cast that are running for just a short time. We hope you’ll take a moment to consider all of our great Broadway ticket options. Remember, we don’t have fees, so the low price that you see is the low price that you pay.

Glenn Close Coming Back to Broadway

Rumors have been flying regarding Glenn Close, and we now know for certain that she is coming back to Broadway. She’s going to take the stage for “Sunset Boulevard,” which is returning to Broadway after its controversial appearance there years ago.

The score was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who is perhaps the most famous theatre composer of all time, while Christopher Hampton and Don Black worked on the lyrics. It means Webber will have four shows happening at the same time, which ties the record with Rodgers and Hammerstein.

The play is based on the eponymous movie that came out in 1950. It got its start on the stage in 1993, showing up on the West End. At that time, it stared Patti LuPone and was directed by Trevor Nunn. It was well done and many could see that it would be a smash hit in time.

In 1994, Close took on the lead role and the play came to Broadway. This was highly controversial, and a settlement was eventually made out of court. That all paid off for Close, though, as the play picked up seven different Tony Awards. The highlight of the bunch was the award for Best Musical.

That pushed Close into stardom, and she has had roles in blockbuster movies like “Air Force One” and “Fatal Attraction.” She’s also been on the Simpsons and in “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Most recently, she was filmed in the upcoming “Guardians of the Galaxy 2” and in “The Girl with All the Gifts.”

This is a small sampling of the work that Close, who is now nearly 70 years old, has done over the years. She’s had a terrific career and it will be great to see her back on Broadway in the role that helped her gain exposure many years ago.

The play itself revolves around a silent-screen actress named Norma Desmond, who lives on Sunset Boulevard in a mansion. Her world is something of a fantasy. She meets up with Joe Gillis, a poor screen writer who has so much debt that he’s trying to run away from it all. He starts working with her on a new script. She is past her prime and wants to get back to the glory days with the new production, and she thinks it will happen with that script. He is drawn into her world, with its luxury and opulence, so different than his own, but he falls in love with another woman.

You still have some time to get tickets! The show won’t start until 2017, with the opening date set for Feb 2.