Broadway Grosses Analysis: Box Office Sees 10% Surge Led by Sweeney Todd, Back to the Future, More | Playbill

Industry News Broadway Grosses Analysis: Box Office Sees 10% Surge Led by Sweeney Todd, Back to the Future, More

Merrily We Roll Along broke the house record at the Hudson Theatre for the fourth time.

Graphic by Vi Dang

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, Broadway seems to be gearing up for a good, old-fashioned holiday surge. Grosses were up by nearly 10% last week between all 28 currently running shows, with capacity at a healthy 90% and average ticket prices holding steady at $123.69. Leading the charge were Sweeney Todd and Back to the Future (both of which took in $200,000 more than they did the week previous) and HamiltonHarmonySome Like It HotMJ: The MusicalGutenberg! The MusicalA Beautiful NoiseShucked, and & Juliet—all of which saw gains of more than $100,000 from the week prior. Producers will be looking to see if this becomes the beginning of a trend as we enter peak tourist and family outing season.

The top of the chart has become fairly predictable these days, with the top five slots going to The Lion KingHamiltonMerrily We Roll Along (in its fourth house record-breaking week at the Hudson Theatre), Wicked, and Sweeney Todd—all within striking range of the $2 Million Club. As is often the way in these tales, pricey tickets are helping make certain shows consistently more lucrative even as attendance remains solid across all of Broadway. Merrily is continuing to demand the most expensive top ticket price on the boards at $599, and its average ticket price is $241. That average beats runner-up Hamilton by nearly $60.

Family shows continue to dominate in terms of how many people are going, with Wicked remaining at its reliable number one spot with 14,122 seats sold, followed by The Lion King with 13,183; Aladdin with 12,581; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child with 11,501; and Hamilton with 10,677.

Take a look at the full report here.

The $1 Million Club (shows that earned $1 million or more at the box office):

  • The Lion King
  • Hamilton
  • Merrily We Roll Along
  • Wicked
  • Sweeney Todd
  • MJ The Musical
  • Back to the Future
  • Moulin Rouge! The Musical
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
  • Aladdin
  • & Juliet
  • Gutenberg! The Musical!

(12 of 28 currently running productions)

The 90s Club (shows that played to 90% or higher of their seats filled over the entire week):

(18 of 28 currently running productions)

 
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