The announcement comes during the post-Christmas doldrums, the time of year traditionally considered the graveyard for the weakest in the Broadway pack. It also occurs on the heels of the opening of “Beautiful,” another jukebox musical celebrating the music of a singer-songwriter whose rise was first charted in the ’60s: Carole King. Mary Bridget Davies received plaudits for her portrayal as Joplin; Jessie Mueller got similar huzzahs for her King, but the box office numbers look far stronger for “Beautiful,” which opened Jan. 12.
It took in $850,000 at the 1,055-seat Stephen Sondheim Theatre last week, while “Joplin” grossed just $339,000 at the 950-seat Lyceum.