Broadway shows will not publicly report grosses for the 2021-2022 season, the Broadway League said Monday.
The decision was made “based on many factors,” according to the League, but includes the “staggered roll-out of returning and new productions, and anticipated variations in performance schedules.” This means the season’s grosses could not be easily compared to past seasons.
The League plans to report grosses for the 2022-2023 Broadway season.
The decision not to report grosses comes as the Broadway industry rehabilitates itself after the theatrical shutdown. Productions face uncertainty around audience demand, with fewer tourists expected, and around the endpoint of the pandemic, as the number of COVID-19 cases related to the delta variant rise.
There are more than 40 Broadway productions that have announced dates for the 2021-22 season. The first show back on Broadway, “Springsteen on Broadway,” began performances June 26 and was recently followed by “Pass Over,” which began previews Aug. 4.
Two more, “Hadestown” and “Waitress” plan to begin performances Sept. 2, ahead of Sept. 14, when shows including “Hamilton,” “Wicked,” “The Lion King,” “Chicago” usher in a broader reopening.
As of Monday, several shows, including “Chicago,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Mrs. Doubtfire” and more had set schedules that included several weeks with fewer than the typical eight shows.
In November 2020, Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin said the Broadway League would not publish grosses if the industry did not have a “full season.” A traditional season typically includes 52 weeks and runs from the first week of June through the end of May of the following year.
The practice of publicly reporting grosses is voluntary on behalf of the productions, but has traditionally been followed by most Broadway shows. Individual shows could still choose to release their own box office numbers.
