This week, Jamie Forst went to her local AMC theater in Burbank, Calif., dressed in pink like Glinda, played by Ariana Grande, while her friend emulated Elphaba, playing by Cynthia Erivo ...

The surprises have come from other theaters filling the void. AMC's Burbank, always a general audience powerhouse, has often done near-equal business (in part because it has greater capacity).