According to figures posted by The Broadway League, ticket sales for the Great White Way’s 38 productions totaled $25.2 million with an increase among 15 shows. With a decrease among 24 productions, the holiday weekend did not boost ticket sales as much as producers had hoped and with few upcoming openings on the calendar, overall sales are likely to stay consistent.

“Peter and the Starcatcher” ($370,039) was the week’s big winner in terms of increased ticket sales taking in 29.2 percent over the previous week. “A Streetcar Named Desire” also had a successful week with sales of $446,069, up 24.2 percent and “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” ($439,851) also made gains with sales up 19.7 percent.

Amanda Pekoe, president of theatrical marketing and advertising company The Pekoe Group, spoke via email to TicketNews about the week’s Broadway ticket sales. Pekoe pointed out that with Tony Award nominations announced, productions that received a lot of nominations, like “Peter and the Starcatcher,” will likely see an increase in attendance and ticket sales. Also, ” ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’ is closing on May 20, so there is some urgency to see it before it’s gone,” added Pekoe.

While overall ticket sales did increase through the week ending May 13, more Broadway productions experienced a decrease rather than increase. “Mary Poppins” ($529,251) had the greatest decline in sales, down 28 percent with a loss of $139,939, based on figures posted by Playbill.com. “Mamma Mia” ($662,496) also took a hit with sales down 17.4 percent and Broadway fixture “The Phantom of the Opera” ($800,916) saw a decline of 10.4 percent.

“These are shows that have been around for some time and are crowd pleasers,” said Pekoe to TicketNews. “They are not going to close anytime soon, so ticket buyers are likely looking to buy tickets to newly nominated shows and productions that have a limited engagement.”

“Nice Work If You Can Get It,” which had the greatest increase in sales through May 6, managed to keep earnings above $1 million and made significant gains through May 13 taking in nearly $71,000 over the previous week, up 6.9 percent based on Playbill.comfigures. “Gore Vidal’s The Best Man” had the greatest loss ($210,857) through the week ending May 6, but managed to turn it around this week with gross sales totaling $737,996, an increase of 8.2 percent.

Several shows are likely to experience lower attendance until after the buzz around Tony Award nominations dies down, but until this happens, there is at least one Broadway show that is ramping up marketing efforts in order to draw audiences. According to Playbill.com, “Godspell” recently announced a “pay-your-age night” to take place on Thursday, May 17, which according to producer Ken Davenport, will hopefully help to attract a younger demographic and help give theatergoers what they want — more affordable tickets.

“I think the ‘pay-your-age night’ is a really creative way of reaching a younger audience, and letting them know that the production is fun and has a youthful energy,” said Pekoe. “With Tony Awards approaching, shows are looking to stand out from the competition and implement new ways of attracting audiences.”

Ticketmaster is also following suit with the announcement of Broadway’s BIG Deals. According to a press release posted by TicketNews, Ticketmaster, a Live Nation Entertainment company, will offer discounted tickets to nearly 50 events across the country including several Tony Award nominees.

According to figures posted by The Broadway League, Broadway gross ticket sales totaled $25.2 million compared to $26.1 million the previous week. Twenty-four shows had a decrease in sales while 15 saw an increase.

“There are small fluctuations in ticket sales all the time,” Amanda Pekoe, president of theatrical marketing and advertising company The Pekoe Group, told TicketNews via email. “With Tony nominations just announced, the playing field is changed somewhat with respect to ticket buying patterns. People may be waiting to buy tickets to the show they truly want to see, rather than buying tickets to their second or third choices.”

Such is the case with “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” which reached $1 million for the first time since opening in April and had a large increase in ticket sales, up 23.2 percent over the previous week. Ironically, the show had the greatest decrease in sales through the week ending April 29, with a decline of $109,194. According to Pekoe, the show’s 10 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, have helped to solidify it as a ticket that people want.

According to figures posted by Playbill.com, Broadway newcomer “Once” had the second biggest increase in sales in terms of dollar amount, earning $707,302, up 16 percent with an increase of $97,890. Another newbie, “The Columnist,” ($298,094) also had a successful week with sales up 30.9 percent over the previous week.

According to Pekoe, both of these shows have a lot going for them. “Once” scored 11 Tony Award nods including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Choreography. “Who wouldn’t want to see a musical with that many nominations in categories that spell out that you will have a wonderful evening at the theatre, ” said Pekoe to TicketNews. “The Columnist” star John Lithgow received a nomination for Best Performance of an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play.

While many shows made large gains, several productions had very significant losses. “Gore Vidal’s The Best Man” ($682,019) had the greatest decrease in sales of any production with a loss of $210,857 among eight performances. “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” ($367,605) had a decrease in sales of $108,372 from the previous week. Sales for “Magic/Bird” ($106,449) fell by $105,190, a significant loss for a show whose sales have yet to reach $200,000.

According to Pekoe, the announcement of Tony Award nominations has created a lot of competition in the market. While “End of the Rainbow” received nods for Best Performance and Best Sound Design, theatergoers are more interested in productions nominated in such categories as Best Play or shows that received several nominations.

Nominated for seven Tony awards, “Death of a Salesman” ($943,884) broke the house record at the Ethel Barrymore for the sixth time, according to Broadway.com. “The Book of Mormon” ($1.6 million) also broke their house record for the 33rd time and remains a top grossing show, despite not receiving any Tony Award nods.

Prior to the close of the week “Seminar” played its final performance after just over a six month run, according to Broadway.com. Although the show ended with the second lowest gross ticket sales ($150,035), the show ended on a high note with sales up 11.8 percent over the previous week.

As temperatures rise, free summer concert events arise! Here are some of the best (and FREE!) NYC music events that you do not want to miss.

NBC’s Today Show Summer Concert Series: With performances ranging from Usher to Jason Mraz, this summer concert series is worth getting up early for! Performances run from Friday, May 18th to Friday, August 31st at Rockefeller Plaza.

Now Running:

Psycho Therapy - Couples therapy for three is back by popular demand at The Cherry Lane Theatre! Canada’s sweetheart Gabrielle Miller is now Lily, the woman who can’t decide between her earnest would-be fiancé Philip (reprised by Laurence Lau) and her hot, younger ex Dorian (now played by Alexander Cendese). Jan Leslie Harding returns as therapist Nancy Winston, along with her love affair with chocolate treats.
In performances now through May 26.

An Early History of Fire - The New Group presents the world premiere of David Rabe’s new play. Set at the tipping point of the early 1960s in a Midwestern town, Danny’s days are defined by friendship and loyalty – but the bigger world encroaches in the form of Karen, back from college in the east, alluring and unsettling because of all she has learned. Awhirl in longing and eyeing a chance for radical change, Danny struggles against the grip of his immigrant father, who mourns a vanished world of lost prestige while clinging to his only son.
In performances now through May 26.

Lonely, I’m Not - At an age when most people are discovering what they want to do with their lives, Porter (Topher Grace: Traffic, Spider-Man 3, In Good Company,“That 70’s Show”) has been married and divorced, earned seven figures as a corporate “ninja” and had a nervous breakdown. This comic journey at Second Stage Theatre features a star-studded cast and promises to entertain.
In performances now through May 27.

Freud’s Last Session - The enduring Off-Broadway gem centers on legendary psychoanalyst Dr. Sigmund Freud, who invites a young, little-known professor, C.S. Lewis, to his home in London. On the day England enters World War II, Freud and Lewis clash on the existence of God, love, sex and the meaning of life – only two weeks before Freud chooses to take his own.
New Block of Tickets! Now On Sale Through Labor Day

Coming Soon:

Pratfalls - Discover the hilarious potential of a Brooklyn rooftop without leaving Manhattan. Ground UP Productions delivers this exploration of four mismatched characters, the ups and downs of 5th floor walkups, citywide blackouts, stand up comedy and perhaps even love at the Dorothy Strelsin Theatre in the Abingdon Theatre Complex.
In performances April 27 through May 19.

Brontë - Head over to Theater 511 for an intimate glimpse into the life of Jane Eyre novelist Charlotte Brontë. Performed by Maxine Linehan, the Alloy Theater Company mounts the first official Off-Broadway production of the play by William Luce.
In performances May 3 through May 25.

Mr. Joy - Mr. Joy is a Chinese-American immigrant who has run a shoe shop in the heart of Harlem for the past 25 years. When the unexpected occurs, his customers reflect on the impact he has had on their lives through their shoes.  At the Riverside Theatre, multiple award-winning writer and performer of Emergency and Through the Night Daniel Beaty returns with his signature blend of comedy, poetry, music, and multi-character transformation create Mr. Joy: A hilarious and heart-warming exploration of one community’s journey to heal in order to dream again and discover boundless joy.
In performances May 12 through June 2.

Love Goes To Press - Stop the presses! The Mint presents the first revival of Love Goes to Press by Martha Gellhorn and Virginia Cowles – “the kind of comedy which mingles public relations, private lives, lines of communication, tough dames, and tender passages.” Inspired by the authors’ own experiences as journalists during World War II, Gellhorn and Cowles wrote this fun, frothy romantic comedy as “an antidote to the heart-sickening cost of war.”
In performances May 26 through July 22.

Revisiting Wildfire - Right Down Broadway Productions presents this midlife crisis comedy sustained by honest, searing emotion. The play tests the friendship of former college roommates, Theresa and Pam, who met during the early years of punk rock and the Reagan Administration. Now 52, both women are facing personal chaos. Fueled by afternoon drinking, Theresa discovers spiritual guidance and her new life purpose in a 70’s pop ballad, which Pam finds more than a little insane. The drama escalates when Pam makes her own startling revelation.
In performances June 1 through June 24.

BroadwayBox – With discounts to Broadway & Off-Broadway shows and major New York City attractions like Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, BroadwayBox was already the go-to for entertainment deals, but their app puts that power in your pocket. An easily-searched interface gives you everything you need to save on the latest hit in the time it takes you to walk to the subway.

tkts – Waiting in line at tkts is guaranteed to be a memorable experience, but with the tkts app, you’ll know what’s at the booth before you go. With listings for the Times Square, South Street Seaport and Brooklyn locations, this free app is a must-have for any day-of deal hunter.

IBDB – Know the name and recognize the face but can’t quite place what you last saw them in? Having trouble recalling the opening night cast of A Little Night Music? The Internet Broadway Database app is the answer for the Broadway Trivia Buff and Casual Searcher alike. Search by show, person or theatre for free in this powerful resource.

HopStop – Off-Broadway venues often play host to treasures like Psycho Therapy, but how do you get to Cherry Lane Theatre again? Is it faster to get off at Christopher or Houston? Or should you bypass the 1 entirely and aim for West 4th? Breeze into the theatre with time to spare with HopStop guiding you and relax as you flip through the latest Playbill.

Gross ticket sales for the Great White Way totaled just under $28 million, according to figures posted by The Broadway League. Not counting the five new productions that opened last week — “A Streetcar Named Desire,” ($309,488) “Leap of Faith,” ($190,997) “One Man, Two Guvnors,” ($262,614) “The Columnist,” ($159,476) and “The Lyons” ($48,615) — 25 of the 39 currently running productions increased in ticket sales.

Broadway newcomer “Peter and the Starcatcher ” had the biggest growth with sales up 90.6% ($273,712) over the previous week ($143,579). With such a dramatic increase, the production almost doubled the sales from the seven preview productions.

Amanda Pekoe, owner and president of The Pekoe Group, a NY–based full service boutique theatrical marketing and advertising company recently spoke with TicketNews via email about what she expects for the new production.

“ ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ started previews on March 28, it is expected that sales will increase once a show begins performances,” said Pekoe. “The show is really excellent and people are talking about it, so there is wonderful word-of-mouth marketing for the production. Additionally with Spring Break I would imagine that lovers of Peter Pan will flock to buy tickets to this show.”

“Death of a Salesman” had the second highest increase in ticket sales with earnings up 87.8% ($859,448) over seven performances. Sales for the production took a big dip ($457,568, down 41%) the previous week, which ended April 1, because of the show’s shortened performance schedule due to star Andrew Garfield’s promotional commitments for his upcoming film, “The Amazing Spider-Man.” With a full schedule of shows, “Death of Salesman” was able to rebound nicely from the previous week.

According to Broadway.com, “Death of a Salesman” broke the house record for attendance at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, which it had previously set during the show’s run. Pekoe believes that the production will continue to have a successful run.

“There is a such great buzz about ‘Death of a Salesman,’ it’s definitely one of the hot shows of the season on Broadway. It’s a familiar title and people want to see Phillip Seymour Hoffman in this role,” said Pekoe in an email to TicketNews.

The holiday week was also good for family-favorites like “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,” “The Lion King,” and “Wicked” which all broke the $2 million mark over the weekend. “Mary Poppins” also had a successful week with sales up 49.6% ($1.4 million) over the previous week’s sales.

“Spring Break is a great time for theatre, especially family-friendly Broadway musicals. Schools are out of session for the holidays and families are in NYC, plus the weather is beautiful,” said Pekoe. “This all adds to Broadway ticket sales increases.”

According to CBSNews.com, “The Lion King” recently surpassed “The Phantom of the Opera” as the highest grossing Broadway show of all time. The production has earned more than $850 million during its 15–year run on Broadway. Surprisingly, “Phantom of the Opera” started on Broadway nearly 10 years prior to “The Lion King,” but higher average ticket prices and a larger theater helped the show to pull ahead.

Religious–themed shows also enjoyed an increase in sales due to the Easter holiday — sales for “Jesus Christ Superstar” were up 20.6% ($904,660) and “Sister Act” earned $860,625, up 13.2%. “The Book of Mormon” experienced a 7.1% increase ($1.6 million) in ticket sales and broke the house record for attendance at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, according to Broadway.com.

Despite a boom for Broadway as a whole, “Seminar” experienced a 58% decrease in sales ($178,977) as actors Jeff Goldblum and Justin Long joined the hit comedy on April 3, replacing Alan Rickman and Hamish Linklater, respectively. Next week’s sales will likely be indicative of whether the actors’ popularity will be enough to draw crowds.

Sort Out Your Closet: Look through everything in your closet and locate anything you have not worn in over two years. The same goes for pieces that do not fit or are damaged beyond repair. Donate these items! Even though you are no longer able to wear an outfit, it does not mean that someone else will not appreciate your pair of shabby boots or sweater from three seasons ago.  Charitable organizations, like the Salvation Army, will pick up your donation for you! Then, take out and store all of your winter garments. Once you only have items that you use in your closet, it will make your life much less complicatedwhen it comes to daily wardrobe selection.

Create Order: Before you can get in to any actual cleaning, it is imperative that you locate and organize any random items that are strewn around your home. You can purchase pieces that will make organizing your home more fun from stores like The Container Store or Target. Once everything has its own place, it will make the rest of the cleaning process go much more smoothly.

The Nitty-Gritty: When it comes to the actual physical cleaning, each person has his or her own way to do things. Take the time to scrub, dust, and vacuum, using whatever method you prefer. Whether you do it yourself or hire somebody else to do it for you (like UrbanMaidGreen), make sure your place is neat and orderly. Once you have taken some time to clean all the rooms in your home, your space will be much more pleasant to be in. Set aside some specific time each week to organize and cleanse your apartment or house. If you stick to this, then by the time next spring rolls around, you will not have as much to do!

Rejuvenate Yourself: Now that your abode is spotless, it is time to make sure that you have taken some time to tidy up your life. Just as everyone has a distinctive technique of organizing and cleaning their space, each individual will have a unique way to recharge. This may be a day at a spa, some time outdoors, or meditation. Whatever it is, take the time to do something for yourself so you will be ready for spring and summer!

Show Boat
Often called the First American Musical, this show by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II started as a novel of the same name by Edna Ferber.

Legally Blonde 
Before it starred Laura Bell Bundy at the Palace Theater, and before Reese Witherspoon brought Elle Woods to Hollywood, Legally Blonde was a novel by Amanda Brown (with several sequels).

Damn Yankees
This story of soul-selling and baseball originated as a book by Douglass Wallop: The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant.

Love, Loss, and What I Wore
Ilene Beckerman’s best seller about the lives of 5 women through their wardrobe also succeeds as an Off-Broadway production.

Ragtime
Published in 1975, E.L. Doctrow’s Ragtime was nominated for the Nebula Award for Best Novel and won the National Book Critics Circle Award before it won four Tonys as a Broadway musical.

Carrie
This Stephen King classic flopped as a musical in 1988, but a recent revival at the MCC Theater gave the prom horror story new life.

Wicked
A re-imagining of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Gregory Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West was a best-selling novel before it was a sold-out musical.

Not only can you see Martin on your television or computer screen, but you can follow him on his journey as well! Since last fall, Geico has featured Martin’s voyage on their website, allowing users to track each and every city Martin visits. Users can also friend him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter to see what city he’s going to visit next. Fans are also encouraged to tweet suggestions to Martin for his next travel location. Martin has traveled to New York City, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and most recently Ft. Worth, TX. The next stop on his list? Las Vegas, of course!

Geico is not the only company to employ strong strategies to build a loyal social media fanbase, and Martin is certainly not the only famous company mascot. Progressive’s spunky insurance saleswoman, Flo, The Progressive Girl, has a Twitter page for people to follow, with over 7,000 followers. She also has her own Facebook page with nearly 3.4 million fans. Her commercials can be recognized by their quirkiness and witty humor.

Many of the campaigns that employ these strategies gain fans and customers, but most importantly they encourage global involvement through social media. Anyone with Facebook or Twitter can “talk” to their favorite company mascot through these means. Other companies like Starbucks offer rewards and incentives, and take suggestions through their social media platforms in an attempt to fully engage their customers.

Geico’s Martin is probably one of the most recognizable social media mascots in the United States, and definitely one of the most recognizable little, green lizards. Everyone loves Flo, The Progressive Girl, and who can pass up a coupon from somewhere like Starbucks? Social media tactics like these certainly aid the campaigns of the companies that employ these tactics, garnering a huge fanbase, and gaining loyal customers.

Logins and Passwords

The easiest way for someone to gain access to your site is to simply log in to your blog or cms. Most people prefer to use a few select username and password combinations that are relatively easy to remember. For a blog or cms, you should stray from these norms. A username should be something completely arbitrary and there are a few websites out there that can generate these names for you. Usernames are not the most important factor here and many times, they are used as signatures or to log changes. Passwords can make or break security so here are some simple things to remember when you create yours: the longer the password the better, use variations in case, and alternate letters, numbers, and symbols such as ? ! @ # %. Keep these usernames and passwords in a safe spot — you never know in whose hands these could end up!

.htaccess

A lot of times, an internet hacker starts by looking into the backend content of a site. This can be prevented by simply using a .htaccess file. This is basically a hidden file on your server that can regulate the access of your server files. Using this file, you can create custom error pages which will redirect people to a particular page when trying to access something that they should not be, intentionally or not. Preventing directories from being listed can help stop nosey people from poking around the files in your site and, with a simple line of code, the .htaccess file can provide a roadblock. Users can be denied by IP address using this file. You can also change the default directory of your site. Typically, this is a file that is called index (.html, .php, etc). In the .htaccess file this directory file can be called anything you want, such as home.html. There are many other benefits to editing your .htaccess file and this site (http://users.telenet.be/ws36178/security/webmaster/htaccess.html) can explain other uses as well as how to implement them.

Website Security Service

There are many website security services available that will help you monitor your website, detect vulnerabilities and ultimately, protect it. Sitelock (http://www.sitelock.com) is a great service for any small business website. For $9 a month, they will scan your site and find any potential weaknesses, provide support, and validate your website’s reputation. Verisign (http://www.verisign.com/) is a security service for e-commerce sites. They will secure all monetary transactions occurring within your site and provide a seal for your site so that customers will have faith that the transaction is secure. If your website collects data from your visitors, then Websense (http://www.websense.com) is the proper security option. They secure databases, emails, and websites — Websense is so awesome at what they do, Facebook uses them to protect its users from malicious links!