Lin-Manuel Miranda’s juggernaut grossed more than $4 million last week alone, a first for any musical. “The period between Christmas and New Year’s always brings boffo business to Broadway, but even so, the week ending Dec. 30 was the best-attended (378,910 seats filled) and highest-grossing ($57.8 million) in Broadway history. An astonishing 28 shows grossed over $1 million” — including, most unusually, five straight plays. — The New York Times
Category: AUDIENCE
The Stage Does A Full Survey Of West End Theatres’ Bathrooms: There Just Aren’t Enough
There especially aren’t enough stalls for women. For the average West End venue, a full house would mean the intermission would need to be an hour long to give every woman the chance to relieve herself (and that’s assuming each one needs only 90 seconds). — The Stage
The Re-Rise Of The Antenna
That’s right: Rabbit ears are back, baby. Or, well, people are turning to “over-the-air digital antennas — a one-time investment of as little as $20 — as a way to slash their monthly video subscription costs.” – Los Angeles Times
Netflix Churns Through Its Data To Create And Deliver Movies Like ‘Bird Box’
Truly, the movie isn’t that great. But it’s a great example of how Netflix uses all of that data we give it when we start, stop, walk away, return, and finish (or don’t) movies and TV shows. – Slate
“To Kill A Mockingbird” Sets New Broadway Box Office Record
The new Broadway adaptation from Oscar winner Aaron Sorkin made Broadway history for the week ending December 23, taking in $1,586,946 at the box office, shattering the house record at the Shubert Theatre for the highest weekly gross of any Broadway play (non musical) in the Shubert Organization’s 118-year history. – Playbill
A Record Year Worldwide For Movie Box Office
That would mark a healthy 2.7% gain from last year, with most of that hike coming from North America. Year-end projections released Thursday by Comscore predict that domestic grosses will hit $11.9 billion, a 7% increase from 2017. International grosses look to reach $29.8 billion, a 2.7% bump compared to the previous year.
Cleveland Orchestra Is Making Digitized Archives Accessible In Two Ways
First, the orchestra is gradually making all its historic scrapbooks (with concert flyers, program booklets, newspaper articles, etc.) available online. Second, a new touch-screen terminal called the “Magic Box” will make background materials on current concert programs available to audience members at Severance Hall. — The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
Facing Campus Protests, ‘Hamilton’ In Puerto Rico Moves Into The City Of San Juan
Lin-Manuel Miranda is set to return to the stage in this version, which abruptly moved to a theatre in the capital city after producer Jeffrey Seller determined that there wouldn’t be enough police protection on campus. Seller “said he welcomed activism — noting that Hamilton, a show about the American Revolution, is essentially a celebration of protest.” – The New York Times
Chicago Lyric Opera’s Subscription Problem
The decline in subscribers is upending the already fragile economics of opera, changing how companies operate and what they program. Lyric now gives a quarter fewer main stage opera performances than it did two decades ago — it gave 60 last season — and has started presenting a musical each spring. – The New York Times
An Independent Seattle Bookstore That’s Thriving On Community
Beloved Seattle bookstores were closing their doors throughout the aughts, and those who remained open seemed to face an impossibly uphill task — who would pay full price for a book when you could buy it for less online? But there’s more to an indie bookstore than the price on a book’s cover. In a manner worthy of a great writer’s unexpected third-act twist, independent bookstores have made an improbable comeback in the past few years, both nationally and locally. – Seattle Times