Broadway grosses rise 27% as star-led shows draw crowds in week ending Oct. 11
Broadway grosses rose 27% and attendance about 10% in the week ending Oct. 11, helped by star-led productions including Other Desert Cities, A Few Good Men and Billy Crystal's 860. Hamilton was the top earner at about $3 million.
1 / 1
The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Broadway grosses rose 27% in the week ending October 11, with outlets crediting a run of star-led productions. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Broadway grosses jumped a staggering 27 percent last week thanks to several high-voltage celebrity shows.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ DeadlineN “a whopping increase of 27% over the previous week” Read at Deadline ↗ Mixed · 2Deadline, citing Broadway League figures, put total receipts for the 29 productions at $35,292,434 and attendance at 248,496; both outlets say attendance was up about 10%. DeadlineN “Total attendance for the week was 248,496, about 10% more than the previous week.” Read at Deadline ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “Overall attendance was up 10 percent across the industry.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Mixed · 2Hamilton was the week's top earner at about $3 million (Deadline gives $3,090,634), helped by the return of Christopher Jackson to the cast; The Hollywood Reporter lists Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ($2.22 million) and The Lion King ($2.21 million) next. The Hollywood ReporterLC “Hamilton was the highest grossing show of the week with an impressive $3 million tally, thanks to the return of Chris Jackson to the cast” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ DeadlineN “grossed an amazing $3,090,634” Read at Deadline ↗
Mixed · 2Other Desert Cities, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Allison Janney, Ed Harris and Joe Keery, sold out eight previews at the Hudson and grossed about $2.1 million (Deadline: $2,157,355); The Hollywood Reporter gives an average ticket price of $277. Its opening night is October 18. DeadlineN “grossed $2,157,355, selling out eight previews at the Hudson. Opening night is October 18.” Read at Deadline ↗ The Hollywood ReporterLC “with an average ticket price of $277” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Mixed · 2A Few Good Men, the Lincoln Center Theater revival starring Bradley Whitford, Tom Blyth and Krysta Rodriguez, sold out its first three previews at the Vivian Beaumont Theater for $555,367, with an average ticket of $168; it opens October 29. The Hollywood ReporterLC “The revival, starring Bradley Whitford, Tom Blyth and Krysta Rodriguez, brought in $555,367, with an average ticket price of $168.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ DeadlineN “sold out its first three previews for a gross of $555,367. Official opening night is set for Thursday, October 29.” Read at Deadline ↗ Mixed · 2Billy Crystal's one-man show 860 grossed about $1.2 million ($1,173,760) across seven previews at the Imperial Theatre. The outlets differ on capacity: The Hollywood Reporter says 100%, Deadline 92%, up from 83% the week before. Deadline gives its opening as October 21 and says the title refers to Crystal's longtime Pacific Palisades home, destroyed in the fires. The Hollywood ReporterLC “The show played to 100 percent capacity at the Imperial Theatre, with an average ticket price of $156.” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ DeadlineN “filled 92% of its seats at the Imperial, a noticeable improvement over the previous week's 83%.” Read at Deadline ↗
Left · 1Oh, Mary!, now starring Bowen Yang, set a Lyceum Theatre box office record of $1.59 million over eight performances, per The Hollywood Reporter, which gives an average ticket of $222. The Hollywood ReporterLC “The Bowen Yang-led Oh, Mary! also broke a box office record at the Lyceum Theatre, bringing in $1.59 million across eight performances” Read at The Hollywood Reporter ↗ Centre · 1Deadline adds that Roundabout's The Imaginary Invalid, starring Bill Irwin, filled 90% of seats at the Haimes and grossed $429,863, opening October 22. In the 20th week of the 2026-27 season, Broadway has grossed $628,508,592, down about 8% year on year, with attendance of 5,155,377, down 3%. DeadlineN “Roundabout's The Imaginary Invalid starring Bill Irwin, filling 90% of seats at the Haimes and grossing $429,863.”“Broadway has grossed $628,508,592 season-to-date, down about 8% from last year at this time” Read at Deadline ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Celebrity-driven surge: leads on star power jolting the industry, with ticket prices and capacity per show.
- Emphasis
- Average ticket prices, the Oh, Mary! house record and full capacity.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Season-to-date totals, which are down year on year, and the Imaginary Invalid figures.
- Charged language
- “staggering”“impressive”
- For example
-
“Celebrity-driven shows, including Bowen Yang in 'Oh, Mary!' jolted the industry last week.” — The Hollywood Reporter
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Box office report led by sell-outs and Hamilton's gross, with detailed Broadway League figures.
- Emphasis
- Exact grosses, weekly and season totals, opening dates, and the season-to-date decline.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Average ticket prices and the Oh, Mary! record.
- Charged language
- “whopping”“amazing”
- For example
-
“A new infusion of star power contributed to the strong figures.” — Deadline
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Grosses rose 27% and attendance about 10% in the week ending Oct. 11.
- Hamilton topped the chart at about $3 million after Christopher Jackson returned.
- Other Desert Cities and A Few Good Men sold out their previews.
- A Few Good Men grossed $555,367 and opens Oct. 29.
Where accounts differ
-
860 capacity
- Left
- The Hollywood Reporter says 860 played to 100% capacity.
- Centre
- Deadline says 860 filled 92% of seats, up from 83% the previous week.
Left1 article
-
Broadway Box Office: Star-Studded ‘Other Desert Cities,’ ‘A Few Good Men,’ ‘860’ Draw Crowds
Celebratory Short report presenting the week as a celebrity-fuelled jump in Broadway business.
Centre1 article
-
‘A Few Good Men’, ‘Other Desert Cities’ Sell Out; ‘Hamilton’ Grosses Huge $3M – Broadway Box Office
Mixed Detailed grosses report that celebrates the weekly rise but notes the season is still down year on year.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 13 Oct 22:06 First The Hollywood ReporterLC Broadway Box Office: Star-Studded ‘Other Desert Cities,’ ‘A Few Good Men,’ ‘860’ Draw Crowds
- 13 Oct 22:17 +11m DeadlineN ‘A Few Good Men’, ‘Other Desert Cities’ Sell Out; ‘Hamilton’ Grosses Huge $3M – Broadway Box Office
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
Ask about this story
Loading…