Feel that chill in the air? It isn't just winter approaching. Broadway's next boom is upon us. The Main Stem gave the fall and winter holiday season a kick-start last week with a more-than 25% increase at the box office. The 31 currently running shows brought in $39.42 million at an average ticket price of $142.49. The same week last season, the ticket average was at $128.58. Looks like we are solidly headed towards another record-breaking season!
Week to week, that increase is not super surprising—there are four more shows and 28 more individual previews and performances than this time last season. That's why that ticket average is so important, and by far the most notable metric of the week's data. That average was overwhelmingly led by Hamilton, which has been enjoying a renewed bonanza at the box office thanks to the return of its Tony-winning original star, Leslie Odom, Jr. The show was the top-grossing production on Broadway last week by no small margin, bringing in $4.04 million thanks to an eye-popping average ticket price of $376. And remember, that's an average, so lots of people paid more than that. It's not the first time the Tony- and Pulitzer-winning musical has been in the $4 Million Club, but it is the first time the show has achieved that since 2018.
The other big winner of the week was Death Becomes Her. The screen-to-stage musical has been doing pretty will since it premiered last season, but last week saw the highest gross yet of its entire run, bringing in $1.61 million at a healthy average of $135.52 per ticket. Perhaps theatregoers are increasingly picking the horror-comedy as we get closer to Halloween? Either way, producers are no doubt thrilled.
The number of shows in The $1 Million Club and The 90s Club both jumped up heavily, which indicates that things are trending up across Broadway. Attendance was up by 18%, with the percentage of houses filled going up 4% cumulatively, too. These are trends we like to see.
Beyond Hamilton, the top five looked much the same as it has for several weeks, with Hamilton followed by Wicked, The Lion King, Waiting for Godot, and Art. Mamma Mia! was hot on those heels in the sixth spot. Altogether, this season so far is beating the same period in last season by more than 10%, which is a stupendous place to be. Part of that is inventory—we've had 4,899 performances so far, compared to 4,539 in the same period last season. But more is more!
As long as we can stave off the specter of a potentially disruptive actor-musician strike, things are looking pretty great on Broadway as we head into the holiday season, our next busy tourism season.
Take a look at the full report here.
The $1 Million Club (shows that earned $1 million or more at the box office):
- Hamilton ($4.02 million)
- Wicked ($2.54 million)
- The Lion King ($2.27 million)
- Waiting for Godot
- Art
- Mamma Mia!
- Death Becomes Her
- MJ The Musical
- Aladdin
- Just in Time
- Maybe Happy Ending
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
- The Outsiders
- Buena Vista Social Club
- Beetlejuice
- Ragtime
- Moulin Rouge! The Musical
- The Book of Mormon
- Hadestown
- The Great Gatsby
- Stranger Things: The First Shadow
- Oh, Mary!
(22 of 31 currently running productions)
The 90s Club (shows that played to 90% or higher of their seats filled over the entire week):
- Just in Time (103.51%)
- Hamilton (101.51%)
- Mamma Mia! (100.94%)
- Maybe Happy Ending (100.75%)
- The Queen of Versailles (100.05%)
- Hadestown (100.03%)
- Ragtime (100%)
- Waiting for Godot (100%)
- Wicked (100%)
- Buena Vista Social Club
- Oh, Mary!
- Art
- The Lion King
- Death Becomes Her
- The Outsiders
- The Book of Mormon
- Moulin Rouge! The Musical
- Aladdin
- Operation Mincemeat
- & Juliet
- MJ The Musical
- Beetlejuice
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
- The Great Gatsby
(24 of 31 currently running productions)
