The hottest play on Broadway was written over 400 years ago. The demands to see Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal face off in Shakespeare's “Othello” are so strong that many center orchestra seats are on sale for $921, with the show supporting Break Blake Office Records.
In the first week of preview, its average ticket price was $361.90, more than doubled at the next highest average price show (“The Outsiders”, 155.02). And last week, Othello sold $2.8 million.
The huge numbers for shows that have not yet been reviewed and were selling violently long before everyone saw it come when prices for the most popular pop concerts and sporting events are also very high.
And theatre prices – at least for the most popular shows, no exception.
At that peak, “Hamilton” charged $998 for the best seats on the holiday week, and at one point he requested a comeback of “Hello, Dolly!” I charged $998 for the front row seating. This could have meant that Bettemidler fans could have brushed their gloves while walking along the Passere.
However, “Othello” is distinguished by the numerous seats sold at the highest prices, which are increasing the average ticket price. With many upcoming performances, the show is asking for $921 for most of the first 14 rows of the center orchestra and the first two rows of the front mezzanine.
The show, like everyone else, uses a variety of pricing. Prices are higher for the most decisive seat at the most desirable time. Early in the preview, there is a future performance with the highest price of $897 and the highest price of $721. The show reported its lowest regular ticket price of $197 last week. For all performances, some partial view sheets are now available for $49 via online lottery.
With many movie and TV stars appearing on stage in New York this season, many shows are charging the best tickets.
The production of “Romeo + Juliet,” starring Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler, was sold well throughout the 20-week run and ended just eight days before “Othello” began. (Yes, it was a good season for Shakespeare.) Most weeks, the top ticket price for “Romeo + Juliet” was $574.50, but it sold seats for $974.50 for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's week, and charged $1,478.50 for some seats in the last week. However, its average ticket price was significantly lower than that of “Othello,” peaking at $225.07 in the final week, often far lower.
Another starry spring performance on Broadway, “Goodnight, Good Luck,” features George Clooney's first professional stage appearance in nearly 40 years, seeking $799 for the best seats in several performances, but the “Glengarry Glen Ross” revival offers $724.50. And the prices for these shows could rise if they demand spikes.
The solo-man “Vanya,” starring Andrew Scott, has charged up to $449, while Brooklyn Music Academy is looking for up to $435 to watch the revival of “The Desire of a Street Car Name” starring Paul Mezcal.
Washington is highly regarded and extremely popular. He has won two Academy Awards for “Glory” and “Training Day” and a Tony Award for “Fence.” In 2020 he was named by New York Times film critics as the greatest actor of the 21st century so far. “Othello” is his sixth starring role on Broadway and is now one of the small performers who are certainly strong-selling.
However, “Othello” sales are the next level, appearing to reflect the appeal of the two famous actors and the famous title and the “Taylor Swift Effect.”
Shows like “Othello” are limited runstar vehicles and do a lot to build a Broadway brand. They are a unique part of the ecosystem,” said Deeksha Gaur, executive director of TDF, who is trying to make the theatre more accessible and executive director of TDF, who oversees the TKTS discount theatre booth. “At the same time, obviously, for us as an industry, it's important to think about making sure people know all the price ranges available to our audience. There's a huge number of shows available to our audience and we haven't heard of them.”
Gaur said that the average ticket price for 10 of the 26 shows running on Broadway will be under $100 (average price for all shows is $120) in the week ending March 9th, while 21 of the 26 shows are selling at least one performance at the TKTS booth.
Of course, the price of “Othello” could fall. If the reviews, or word of mouth, it could lead to a lower price for remaining ticket stock at the box office, and also reduce demand in the resale market.
But so far, “Othello” has earned more box office than any other show on Broadway, surpassing “Wicked”, “Hamilton” and “The Lion King.”
“Othello” like all Broadway shows these days, costs on stage. This tends to explain the higher ticket prices by producers. The show, which will open on March 23 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, has been capitalized for up to $9 million, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. And, like most plays featuring movie stars who tend to have limited time on stage stars, the short term is expected to last for 15 weeks. It challenges recollection and profitability.
Lead producer Brian Moreland declined to comment on the show's pricing. However, this subject is clearly delicate. After New York Post Entertainment critic Johnny Olexinski wrote a column calling the price of “Ottero” “obscene,” based on “greed,” the production refused to meet the demands of free press sheets that the production, which follows industry standards, was being offered alongside other journalists.
