Julia Roberts was
almost the million-dollar baby on Broadway last week.
Three Days of Rain, which stars Roberts, Paul
Rudd, and Bradley Cooper, grossed a whopping $988,298 for
its first full week of preview performances, according
to figures released Monday by the League of American
Theatres and Producers. The eight performances, which
began March 28, played to 101% of capacity (which includes
standing room) at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, the
league said. Out author Richard Greenberg's
play-- Roberts's Broadway debut--opens
April 19.
Other shows
playing to capacity--or better--last week
included Wicked, Monty Python's Spamalot, The Pajama
Game, The Odd Couple, and The Phantom of
the Opera. Although Phantom was helped
by discount offers, the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical
has demonstrated surprising box-office muscle,
particularly after becoming Broadway's longest-running
show last January. Also playing to virtual capacity were
such shows as The 25th Annual Putnam County
Spelling Bee, Jersey Boys, The Lion King, and
Tarzan, which is now in previews. Disney's new
musical opens May 10 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. (AP)