Industry NewsWicked Surpasses The Phantom of the Opera as Second-Highest-Grossing Show in Broadway HistoryThe musical reached $1 billion in March 2016, joining Phantom and The Lion King.
After taking in just shy of $2 million in the week ending July 9, Wicked has become the second-highest-grossing show in Broadway history. It assumes the runner-up spot from The Phantom of the Opera, and now trails directly behind The Lion King.
Since beginning performances at the Gershwin Theatre in October 2003, Wicked has grossed approximately $1.12 billion. The musical reached the 10-figure milestone in March 2016, joining The Lion King and The Phantom of the Opera. It surpassed $1 billion faster than both of its Billionaire’s Club predecessors.*
The Phantom of the Opera has grossed a total of $1.11 billion on Broadway since beginning its run at the Majestic Theatre in 1988. However, The Lion King reigns over the Broadway box office, coming in at $1.38 billion; it celebrates its 20-year anniversary on Broadway this fall.
While The Lion King and Wicked consistently gross over $1 million week-to-week and assume mainstay positions in the leaderboard, The Phantom of the Opera’s numbers fluctuate throughout the calendar year. As do many shows, the musical faces a dip in the post-holiday winter months, but frequently reaches seven figures in more tourist-friendly periods; the musical, which holds the record as the longest-running production on Broadway, has remained in the $1.1 million margin for the past eight weeks.
Playbill's Tyler Mount and Ruthie Fierberg recently visited the long-running production to learn how to achieve Elphaba's iconic green tone. Take a look at the video below.
