Broadway Grosses: Bette Laughs Last

She may have been snubbed by all of the major theater awards, but Bette Midler is certainly not crying. In fact, she’s laughing all the way to the bank judging by the latest figures released by The Broadway League.

At $149.27, I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers now holds the title of second-highest average paid admission on Broadway, exceeded only by The Book of Mormon ($194. 47). This week, the one-woman play about legendary Hollywood agent Sue Mengers overtook the show that had previously held the number two spot for several weeks, the Tom Hanks Broadway debut, Lucky Guy. Both shows played to sold-out houses last week, but with a surge in average ticket price of $11.31 over last week and a strictly limited run (it’s set to close June 30), I’ll Eat You Last is rapidly becoming the hottest ticket in town.

The week of May 12 – 19 was generally a good week for Broadway at the box office, with most shows grossing more than they had the previous week and average ticket prices steadily climbing as the summer tourist season kicks into full swing.

Here are the top ten average paid admissions on Broadway:

1. The Book of Mormon: $194.47

2. I’ll Eat You Last: $149.27

3. Lucky Guy: $143.23

4. The Lion King: $140.37

5. Wicked: $125.94

6. Kinky Boots: $110.45

7. Pippin: $108.86

8. Once: $108.02

9. Jersey Boys: $105.58

10. Motown: The Musical: $102.86

The overall average ticket price on Broadway was $99.52 last week. 240,992 people took in a Broadway show and seven shows played to capacity or over capacity houses. The lowest average paid admission on Broadway was $59.27 (for The Big Knife), suggesting that as we head into summer, cheap seats on Broadway will be harder and harder to find. Still, as of the writing of this article, 14 out of 28 Broadway shows are offering discounted ticket on TheaterMania, so not all hope is lost.

Click here for a detailed list of Broadway Grosses for May 12 – 19.