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JEREMY $PEEDS THE ‘OW!’

Jeremy Piven put fannies in the seats on Broadway – and took them with him the moment he split.

The box-office take for his show, “Speed-the-Plow,” plummeted nearly 33 percent the first week after Piven, claiming mercury poisoning from his sushi-centric diet, exited the production and understudy Jordan Lage was forced to fill in.

The show grossed $326,559 last week, compared with $485,751 the week before, according to The Broadway League. It had been hauling in more than $500,000 in each of the last six weeks.

Producer Jeffrey Richards said he hoped the next replacements – Norbert Leo Butz, who debuted last night, and Oscar-nominated actor William H. Macy, who takes over the role Jan. 11 – would help boost the box office.

“We’re getting good news with Norbert Leo Butz, and even greater news with William Macy,” Richards said. Although he said it was too early to disclose upcoming ticket sales, he added: “We’re looking to recoup our investment by the end of our run.”

The play is scheduled to close Feb. 22.

Richards acknowledged that the show took a hit once “Entourage” star Piven left. “Yes, we did drop last week, but we still had a profitable week,” he said. “And we do have two bona fide stars in Raul Esparza and Elisabeth Moss.

Investors say the play was only one week away from breaking even when Piven walked.

“We were so close to recouping, and then this jerk screwed it up,” said one.

Still, Broadway insiders credit Piven with bringing a non-traditional – that is, younger – audience to the theater, with one saying, “In troubled economic times, he was reaching way beyond the usual Broadway crowd.”

Competing Broadway plays, such as “All My Sons” and “August: Osage County,” also lost attendance last week, but by much smaller margins than the loss at “Speed-the-Plow”.

Piven’s doctor said the actor’s twice-a-day sushi habit contributed to an “amazingly” high mercury level, which contributed to the actor feeling dizzy and suffering muscle weakness.

Some people associated with the show expressed doubts over how sick Piven was, noting that the alleged mercury poisoning did not affect his ability to attend post-performance parties.

Meanwhile, Piven was spotted out and about in LA this week, leaving his home to check the mailbox before hopping into his Ford Bronco, only to find it wouldn’t start.

michael.riedel@nypost.com