Broadway's latest season is shaping up to be one for the record books, with "Wicked" leading the charge in its highest-grossing week ever. The musical, which has been a staple on the Great White Way since 2003, soared past its own records by accumulating over $5 million in just one week. According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter, these figures were bolstered by nine performances rather than the typical eight, with tickets averaging $290.61.
While "Wicked's" spell over audiences is strong, its success is not the lone standout. Other top performers included "The Lion King," "Aladdin," and "The Great Gatsby," each pulling in impressive figures during the same period. Seemingly unstoppable, even "Hamilton," with an eight-show week, grossed a noteworthy $2.93 million. "Elf The Musical" and "The Outsiders" also broke their respective theatre's box office records, with the latter reaching just over $2 million with an average ticket price of $239.96, as noted by The Hollywood Reporter.
Grosses for the Christmas week surged nearly 23 percent compared to last season, a significant uptick by any measure. The 2024-25 season as a whole stands more than 16 percent ahead of last year's figures, indicating a healthy trajectory for Broadway's financial recovery post-pandemic. In the wake of booming ticket sales, productions had to contend with rising illness rates, exemplified by "Gypsy," which cancelled seven performances, only managing to stage a single show during the scrutinized week.
Affirming "Wicked's" golden week, Crain's New York contributed that the success helped push Broadway to its second-highest grossing week in history, totaling $55.8 million, second only to 2018's $57.8 million for the same week. Jason Laks, president of The Broadway League, told Crain's New York, "We're on an upward trajectory and I feel great about it. But we're still not back to where we were prepandemic year-over-year." His cautionary note suggests that, despite individual shows' successes, the industry is watching the longer-term recovery with a keen eye.
Attendance is expected to rebound during Broadway Week, which runs from Jan. 21 through Feb. 9, offering 2-for-1 tickets for select shows. The initiative provides a targeted boost during typically slow post-holiday weeks. Despite "Wicked's" numbers falling to $3.3 million and 15,400 attendees shortly after the record-breaking week, it maintained its spot as the top-earning show, according to Crain's New York figures.
