Nearly every show running on Broadway saw an increase at the box office last week in the final week of the 2021-2022 season.
There were only three shows that saw dips at the box office: “Mr. Saturday Night,” “The Minutes” and “Tina.”
For the week ending May 22, Broadway grossed $33,350,185, up nearly 10% from the previous week. Shows played to almost 82% capacity, with attendance increasing by 4%.
“Hadestown” and “The Music Man” both played to 100% capacity. 15 shows grossed more than $1 million.
“The Skin of Our Teeth” canceled performances on May 21, citing an illness within the company. The show grossed $164,479 over six performances, playing to 43% capacity. This is the second consecutive week the show has had to cancel some of its performances due to illness.
“for colored girls who have considered suicide / when the rainbow is enuf” had its highest grossing week to date, bringing in $339,177 and playing to 71% capacity.
This week marked the 52nd and final week in the 2021-2022 Broadway season, which saw the return of live theater following the pandemic-induced shutdown.
However, as the Broadway League reports, it was not a complete 52-week season, as the start was delayed by 10 weeks due to COVID-19. The season’s first show began in August with a staggered return through the Fall. By November, 30 of the 39 available theaters were up and running.
During the shortened 42-week season, the report noted that there were performance cancelations during 16 weeks, including at the height of the holiday season in late December.
Broadway played to 82% capacity on average during those 42 weeks, despite lower than normal levels of tourism and fewer performances.
The 2021-2022 season saw 56 shows play, including 34 new shows, 17 reopened shows, and 5 return engagements, according to the report. Within that, there were 24 plays, 29 musicals, and 3 special productions.
