“Glengarry Glen Ross,” David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play about cutthroat real estate salesmen, has recouped its investment on Broadway. The starry revival, led by Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk and Bill Burr, was capitalized for $7.5 million, according to an SEC filing.
The show’s producers also announced that “Glengarry” has broken the Palace Theatre box office record with $2.4 million for the week ending on May 11. The play opened on March 31 and will close on June 28.
“Glengarry Glen Ross” revolves around four salesmen who compete to sell mostly worthless properties to unwitting customers. Things become ruthless when they’re given the news that whoever sells the most wins a car and whoever sells the least is out of a job. Odenkirk received a Tony nomination for his portrayal of once-powerful peddler Shelly Levene (portrayed by Robert Prosky in the original Broadway production and Jack Lemmon in the 1992 movie). Meanwhile, Culkin’s take on the office’s top closer Richard Roma (Robert Prosky in the original Broadway production and Jack Lemmon in the 1992 movie) and Burr as scheming big-mouthed salesman Dave Moss (James Tolkan in the original Broadway production and Ed Harris in the 1992 movie) were snubbed, while the production itself wasn’t recognized in the category of best play revival.
It’s a starry season on Broadway, which is proving to be good for business. Earlier this week, George Clooney’s “Good Night, and Good Luck” announced the play recouped its $9.5 million investment after seven weeks. A week earlier, Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal’s “Othello” revival, capitalized for $9 million, earned back its production costs after nine weeks.
