Broadway Box Office: A Record-Breaking Week
The Broadway box office had a record-breaking week, with a total gross of $4.9 million from the hit musical Hamilton. This impressive figure was achieved during the lucrative Thanksgiving week, with the return of original cast member Leslie Odom Jr. on September 9. Hamilton's average ticket price of $454.81 contributed to its nearly $5 million windfall for eight performances.
While Hamilton leads the pack, Wicked still holds the highest weekly gross achieved by a Broadway show, bringing in over $5 million across nine performances at the end of last year. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, boosted by Tom Felton's joining the cast, grossed $3.1 million, breaking the box office record at the Lyric Theatre. The play's average ticket price increased to $242.95.
Wicked followed with $3 million, The Lion King with $2.8 million, and Chess, starring Lea Michele, Aaron Tveit, and Nicholas Christopher, with $2 million, also breaking the house record at the Imperial Theatre. Mamma Mia! and Ragtime had their best weeks on Broadway, with Mamma Mia! grossing $2 million and Ragtime bringing in close to $1.5 million, marking Lincoln Center Theater's best week since the pandemic. Chicago had its highest-grossing Thanksgiving performance yet, with $151,362.45, as one of the few shows to perform on Thursday.
Overall, the industry gross increased by 19 percent from the prior week, with average paid admission up $22.41 and attendance up 2.6 percent, indicating the industry's most lucrative weeks ahead.
