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Broadway's 'Spider-Man' musical earns new record

Jan. 4, 2012 - 10:53 By

NEW YORK (AP) _ Look who's got a big smile behind his mask on Broadway _ none other than the once-mocked Spider-Man.

The Broadway League reported Tuesday that ``Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark'' took in a whopping $2,941,790 over nine performances last week, which is the highest single-week gross of any show in Broadway history.

The Spider-Man show shatters the old record held by ``Wicked,'' which last January recorded the then-highest one-week take on Broadway with a $2,228,235 haul, though over eight-shows. The numbers are not adjusted for inflation. Last week, ``Wicked'' took in $2,712,535 over nine shows.

Both shows' haul reflect the use of premium seating, in which producers charge higher prices for certain days and certain seats. Also, ``Wicked,'' which is performed at the Gershwin Theatre, has about 100 seats less than the 1,930-seat Foxwoods Theatre, home of the superhero musical.

This file photo shows people line up to enter the Foxwoods Theatre for a matinee showing of "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark," in New York. (AP)


The stunt-heavy Spider-Man show, which at $75 million makes it the costliest ever on Broadway, muscled to the top despite a turbulent history, including injuries to actors, delays in opening night, poor reviews and a record-breaking preview period.

Many shows this holiday season added a ninth show to their regular eight-show week. Most had a happy holiday as a result, including ``The Book of Mormon'' with $1,752,601 over nine shows and ``The Lion King'' at $2,444,132 over nine performances.

``How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'' with Daniel Radcliffe ending his Broadway run broke the box office record at the Hirschfeld Theatre the week ending Sunday, grossing $1,910,224 over nine performances.

Hugh Jackman also ended his 10-week concert show run at the Broadhurst Theatre on Sunday after having earned $2,057,354 in its final nine performances, the highest weekly gross recorded by the Shubert Organization, which owns the Broadhurst and 16 other Broadway theaters.

And Broadway's ``Mary Poppins'' grossed $2,444,032 at the Minskoff Theatre during its nine-performance week, which is a house record and the highest weekly gross in the show's 14 year run.

But the success of the stunt-heavy ``Spider-Man'' musical comes despite one of the most turbulent productions in Broadway history, including injuries to actors, delays in opening night, poor reviews and a record-breaking preview period.

The fans have kept coming despite a spring shake-up that led to the firing of Julie Taymor _ the original co-book writer and director _ and an overhaul of the plot and songs by U2's Bono and the Edge. Producers say it has been seen by more than 600,000 people over the past year.

Producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris have said their data on the audiences for ``Spider-Man'' indicate that half of all attendees had never been to a Broadway show before and more than half were from outside New York.

The positive box-office news _ in addition to the new record, the show has consistently grossed more than the $1.2 million a week the producers have indicated they need to reach to stay viable _ has helped persuade Harris and Cohl to keep the show in New York, forgoing for now schemes to tour or franchise it.

 

<한글기사>



뮤지컬 '스파이더맨' 美티켓판매 신기록

(연합뉴스) 비평가들의 혹평을 받으며 수차례 연기 끝에 개봉된 뮤지컬 '스파이더맨'이 미국 브로드웨이에서 티켓판매 신기록을 세우며 승승장구하고 있다.

브로드웨이의 제작자·극장주 단체인 '브로드웨이 리그'는 3일(현지시간) 뮤지 컬 '스파이더맨(Spider-man: Turn off the Dark)'이 지난주 9회 공연에서 총 294만1 천790달러(한화 약 33억7천만원)의 티켓판매를 기록했다고 밝혔다.

이는 브로드웨이 역사상 일주일 기준 최고 판매기록으로, 뮤지컬 '위키드'가 지 난해 1월 같은 기간 8회 공연에서 세운 222만8천235달러를 넘었다.

위키드의 지난주 9회 공연 티켓 판매액은 271만2천535달러였다.

뮤지컬 스파이더맨은 브로드웨이 사상 최대 규모인 7천500만달러의 제작비를 투 입, 화려하고 역동적인 곡예 장면으로 팬들을 끌어모았다.

출연 배우의 부상, 개봉일 지연, 비평가들의 혹평, 최장 프리뷰 기간이라는  각 종 난제가 있었지만 티켓판매 최고 기록을 달성했다.

이밖에 뮤지컬 '라이언킹'과 '모르몬교의 성전'은 지난주 9회 공연에서 각각 24 4만4천132달러, 175만2천601달러의 티켓판매를 기록했다.

영화 해리포터 시리즈의 주인공 해리 역을 연기한 대니얼 래드클리프의 뮤지컬 진출작인 '성공시대'는 박스오피스 기록을 깨고 191만224달러의 티켓 판매고를 올렸 다.