Broadbox Office: Hiddleston and Atwell debut to full house

358,262 dollars. That is the amount of money the first preview performance of Much Ado About Nothing generated last week on Broadway. The production, directed by Jamie Lloyd, filled the Winter Garden Theatre to 100 percent capacity for that single showing. With an average ticket price of $238, the play secured the second highest average price on Broadway for that specific week. If these numbers hold, the revival of the Shakespeare classic is positioned to become one of the industry's top weekly grossers.

The path to this debut was direct. The production transferred straight from London to New York without a stop in another market. Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell head the cast. The full official opening is scheduled for November 19.

The rest of the Broadway market showed a different picture during the same period. Other Desert Cities remained the top earner, generating $2.35 million for the week. It also recorded the highest average ticket price on Broadway at $301. This marked a new personal best for the play, which stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Allison Janney, and Joe Keery.

Hamilton held the second spot in weekly earnings with a total of $2.31 million. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child followed with $1.63 million. The musical MJ brought in $1.61 million, while The Lion King reported weekly grosses of $1.56 million. Billy Crystal's solo show, 860, ranked sixth with $1.35 million, despite including three heavily comped performances for press members.

Another new entrant, A Few Good Men, opened last week starring Bradley Whitford and Tom Blyth. It brought in nearly $1.3 million while playing to 100 percent capacity. However, opening night was fully comped, and several press tickets were provided at no cost. Reviews for the play have been mixed so far.

Despite the arrival of these new shows, overall Broadway grosses fell by 13 percent for the week. Attendance figures also decreased by 4 percent. Industry analysts attributed the decline to competition from major seasonal events, including Halloween and the New York City Marathon, which drew audiences away from the theater district.

Established previews also saw shifts in their numbers. The new play Downstate experienced a dip in attendance during its second week. Occupancy rates dropped to 87 percent from a previous 94 percent as the show expanded its schedule from six to eight performances per week. It generated $275,085 ahead of its official opening date on November 15. The new musical Wanted also saw a decrease in audience numbers. Attendance fell to 82 percent from 93 percent in the prior week, and weekly grosses dropped to $508,919. The musical is set to hold its official opening on November 8.