'Book of Mormon' hooks Broadway crowd

Inside your conquer Broadway's annual publish-Labor Day slump is to experience a little belief.Belief in "It of Mormon," anyway: Each week when virtually every show concerning the Primary Stem saw sales drop, "Mormon" ($1,293,582) rose -- and handled to top perennial smash "Wicked" ($1,253,990) and almost nick "The Lion King" ($1,299,169). The "Mormon" task is especially impressive since its theater seats just one,075 versus. 1,800 at "Wicked" and 1,675 at "The Lion King."Otherwise, it absolutely was a hard week throughout, with major 35mm 35mm slides released typically in the shows concerning the boards. "Lion King," "Wicked" and "Spider-Guy: Turn Off the Dark" ($1,197,278), for instance, saw week-to-week sales visit about 20%.The annual recession is due to Labor Day, the condition finish in the summer season travel several days. Nevertheless the effects were increased with the attention submitted to activities organized around the tenth anniversary of 9/11.While using concurrent startup in the school year, productions with family appeal -- including "Mary Poppins" ($492,889) and Daniel Radcliffe topliner "How you can achieve Business Without Really Trying" ($757,240) -- needed a couple of from the most difficult hits in the frame.The overall Broadway cume fell $4.millions of to $14.3 million for your 21 shows concerning the boards, with attendance sinking to 165,000 at 71.7%. Still, that marked a noteworthy difference inside the week ending Sept. 12, 2010, when 23 shows attracted $13.4 million. Average paid out attendance fell from $91.63 to $86.92.The 19 musicals made $13,263,444 for 93.7% in the Broadway total, with attendance of 545,122 at 69.7% capacity and average paid out admission of $86.06.The Two plays made $1,041,765 for six.3% in the Broadway total, with attendance of 10,448 at 78.8% capacity and average paid out admission of $99.71. Contact Gordon Cox at gordon.cox@variety.com