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‘Oh, Mary!’ Dips During Meg Stalter Absence; ‘Every Brilliant Thing’ Slows – Broadway Box Office
Broadway box office receipts fell 6% week-on-week, with the hit comedy Oh, Mary! taking a notable hit after new star Meg Stalter missed most performances through illness, while Every Brilliant Thing also softened as Tracee Ellis Ross settles into the lead role. The dip reflects the usual turbulence of cast transitions on Broadway, where audience demand can be closely tied to a star's presence, even as several established productions continued to perform strongly.
The 31 shows running grossed $30,989,768 for the week ending 19 July, down 6% from the previous week's 32 shows and 8% down year-on-year, with attendance of 255,560 roughly flat against last year. Oh, Mary! took in $911,738 (down $129,236) at 86% capacity before Stalter returned on Friday, while Every Brilliant Thing dropped to $361,158 with attendance at about 77% of capacity. By contrast, Proof sold out in its final week with $934,473, and Cats: The Jellicle Ball rose to $823,972 following its closing announcement; top earners for the week were Hamilton, Death of a Salesman, The Lion King, MJ and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
In short
- Oh, Mary! takings fell as star Meg Stalter missed shows through illness
- Every Brilliant Thing softened as Tracee Ellis Ross took over the lead
- Overall Broadway gross fell 6% week-on-week, 8% down year-on-year
Explained simply
Broadway is New York's theatre district, home to the city's premier theatrical productions. This story concerns a notable decline in ticket sales across Broadway venues this week, reflecting disruptions in key cast roles.
Revenue at Broadway theatres is closely tied to which stars are performing in leading roles, as audiences often buy tickets specifically to see particular actors. When a star becomes unavailable or when a major part is recast, theatres can experience significant drops in attendance until audiences adjust to the new casting or the original performer returns.
Two popular comedies were particularly affected. Oh, Mary! saw reduced sales when illness caused Meg Stalter, its star, to miss most performances, whilst Every Brilliant Thing experienced softer box office as Tracee Ellis Ross settles into the lead role.