‘Frozen’ musical breaks record
How is Disney’s latest Broadway bet faring? Did we even need to ask? “Frozen” the musical has smashed the record for weekly ticket sales at the St. James Theatre in New York, Disney Theatrical Productions announced, beating the mark formerly held by “The Producers.”
The production, which opened March 22, grossed more than $2.2 million in its first eight shows. That broke a record held for 14 years by “The Producers,” which at its peak grossed $1.6 million in eight performances.
The Broadway record for the most money made on Broadway in a single week is held by “Hamilton.” That show grossed $3.3 million at Richard Rodgers Theatre across eight performances in November 2016. Before that, “Wicked” held the record with $3.2 million.
These records can be like comparing apples to oranges when a house like the Richard Rodgers has more than 1,300 seats while the St. James has more than 1,700. Regardless of theater size, any show that can gross more than $1 million a week earns a badge of box-office honor.
“Frozen” is based on Disney’s 2013 blockbuster film, which won the Oscar for animated feature and another for original song by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who also wrote the music for the show at the St. James.
As detailed in The Times last month, the book is by “Frozen” screenwriter Jennifer Lee, and the production is directed by Shakespearean heavy hitter Michael Grandage. Caissie Levy and Patti Murin star as royal sisters Elsa and Anna.
The critical reaction has been mixed. Times critic Charles McNulty called “Frozen” moderately entertaining but “a far cry from the whirligig imagination of ‘The Lion King.’ ”
Whether “Frozen” reaches the financial heights of “The Lion King” will take years to discover. After more than 20 years, it’s Broadway’s third-longest-running show, behind only “The Phantom of the Opera” and the 1996 revival of “Chicago” (and ahead of No. 4 “Cats”). “The Lion King” is also the highest-grossing show of all time, having earned $8.2 billion worldwide.