The Broadway-bound production of “Grease,” currently the focus of an NBC reality series, sold $1.3 million worth of tickets during the first two days tickets were on sale.
(MSNBC is a joint venture between NBC and Microsoft.)
The $10 million revival starts begins preview performances July 24, most likely at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre, after the Kevin Spacey revival of Eugene O’Neill’s “A Moon for the Misbegotten” completes its limited engagement.
The 90-minute first episode of the TV series, called “Grease: You’re the One That I Want,” on Jan. 7 averaged some 11.6 million viewers. They tuned in to watch Los Angeles and Chicago auditions for the leading roles of Sandy Dumbrowski and Danny Zuko in the upcoming stage production.
The judges include “Grease” producer David Ian, “Grease” co-creator Jim Jacobs and Kathleen Marshall, who will direct the Broadway revival. This Sunday, Jan. 14, the three look at young performers in New York.
It’s unusual for Broadway shows to put tickets on sale so far in advance of an opening, and “Grease” has a full seven months to build on that advance before the first preview performance. No mention of how to purchase tickets was made on the TV show, although the musical took a full-page ad Sunday in The New York Times; viewers who went to the NBC Web site, www.nbc.com, could find a link to ticket sales.
Other shows have done better in early advance sales. For example, the Nathan Lane-Matthew Broderick revival of “The Odd Couple” took in $7 million in one day when tickets went on sale for American Express cardholders.
“We are thrilled with the response to our on-sale for ‘Grease,”’ said Nick Scandalious, executive vice president of the Nederlander Organization, a producer of the Broadway production. “We are all looking forward to bringing the show to a Broadway audience that clearly is excited to see it this July.”