A Blizzard Couldn't Freeze Out Broadway's Spirit, But It Certainly Chilled Ticket Sales!
New York City's theater scene faced a frosty challenge last week as a severe winter storm descended, causing canceled performances and deterring even the most dedicated theatergoers. This icy blast led to a significant dip in box office revenue, with the 27 Broadway productions collectively bringing in $26,036,589 for the week ending March 1. That's a 17% drop from the previous week's impressive $32 million haul. It's no surprise that attendance also felt the chill, falling by 8% to 221,567 eager patrons.
Even the average ticket price took a hit, cooling down from $130.38 to $117.51. This impact was particularly felt by shows that had scheduled Monday evening performances, which were unfortunately canceled due to the blizzard on February 22. For these productions, losing a performance meant a substantial blow to their earnings. For instance, the ever-popular Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, despite its strong following, saw its grosses decrease by $411,508 to $2,159,398. Similarly, Six: The Musical dropped by $256,190 to $440,849, and The Great Gatsby experienced a decline of $473,715, landing at $673,576.
Out of the 27 shows, a staggering 24 reported noticeable drops in their box office numbers. But here's where it gets interesting... not everyone succumbed to the snow! Three productions managed to defy the winter weather and actually boost their earnings.
Chess saw a welcome surge of $381,595, reaching $1,166,962. This impressive climb can be attributed to the return of star Lea Michele after a brief hiatus. Hadestown also had a strong final week for its principal cast members, including Jack Wolfe as Orpheus, with its grosses rising by $160,566 to $1,303,532.
And then there's Every Brilliant Thing, starring the one and only Daniel Radcliffe. This play, which is still in its early stages, managed to achieve an astonishing $980,815 in ticket sales, a remarkable jump of $676,388 from the previous week. Even with the loss of a Monday performance, this show achieved an incredible 98% capacity during the snowy week, opening on March 12 at the Hudson Theatre. But here's the part most people miss: While many shows struggled, Every Brilliant Thing's success, alongside others like Chicago (also at 98% capacity) and Ragtime, suggests that compelling content and star power can indeed overcome adverse conditions.
Speaking of sell-outs, Hadestown, Hamilton, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and Just in Time were completely full. Chicago and Every Brilliant Thing were close behind, with Ragtime also hitting 98% capacity. Moulin Rouge!, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, The Lion King, The Outsiders, and Wicked all maintained strong attendance, selling at least 90% of their seats.
On the other hand, some shows felt the blizzard's bite more acutely. '& Juliet' dropped from 95% to 85% capacity, 'Aladdin' from 97% to 87%, and 'Buena Vista Social Club' from 96% to 85%. Similar declines were observed for Death Becomes Her, Maybe Happy Ending, MJ, Oh, Mary!, Operation Mincemeat, Six, The Book of Mormon, The Great Gatsby, and Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York).
The top five highest-grossing shows for the week were: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ($2,159,398), Hamilton ($1,756,444), Just in Time ($1,484,852), The Lion King ($1,326,036), and Wicked ($1,307,242).
Looking at the season so far, Broadway has been a robust performer. In its 40th week of the 2025-26 season, it has grossed a remarkable $1,451,715,100, representing a 7% increase compared to the same period last year. Total attendance has also seen a healthy rise of 3%, reaching 10,879,802.
Now, here's a thought-provoking question for you: While weather undeniably impacts ticket sales, do you think the content and star power of a show are becoming even more crucial in today's competitive theater landscape? Or are we simply seeing the natural fluctuations of a dynamic industry? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
