The 2010-11 Broadway season, which ended this past weekend, set a record for gross ticket sales that totaled $1,080,562,880, according to figures released today, May 31, by The Broadway League.
The billion-dollar gross figure represents a 5.9 percent increase over the previous year, but was achieved with a 53-week schedule instead of the normal 52-week period. The Broadway League adds a 53rd week to the season tally every seven years to “maintain an end-of-May end to the season.” The next 53-week season will be 2018.
Yet, even if a 52-week schedule were used, total grosses were still up more than 3 percent and exceeded $1 billion.
“The diversity of shows currently on Broadway succeeds in providing something for everyone, so it’s no accident that we’re having the biggest season in our history and even in the toughest economic times have over a 5 percent increase in attendance year-over-year,” Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of The Broadway League, said in a statement.
Attendance for the season was up 5.4 percent from the prior year, with 12,534,595 theatregoers seeing one or more of the 42 productions that played on Broadway during the season.
Among the 42 productions, 14 were musicals, including continuing hits “Wicked,” “Jersey Boys” and the “Lion King,” 25 were plays and 3 were specials.
Among the new productions that were breakout hits during the season were the “Book of Mormon,” “War Horse” and a revival of “How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying.”
“Great seats to a season that has entertained, inspired and moved our audiences are easy to buy online, by phone, or in person at theatre box offices,” St. Martin added. “Theatregoers can see a Broadway show any night of the week at various curtain times.”