Ragtime opened at Broadway‘s Vivian Beaumont last week to strong reviews and solid box office, supporting new Lincoln Center theater artistic director Lear deBessonet’s judgement in opening her inaugural season with this soul-stirring revival. The weekly gross for the non-profit production was no less than $1,052,045. Needless to say, it was sell-out.
Some other new fall arrivals stood up for themselves as well. The Queen of Versailles, starring Broadway favorite Kristin Chenoweth is in previews at the St. James, filling 91% of seats for its first six previews in that venue for a gross of $898,774. I’m guessing reviews will be key here, one way or the other. Opening night is November 9.
Speaking of reviews, same goes for Liberation at the James Earl Jones and Little Bear Ridge Road at the Booth. Hearing nothing but great things about both shows – I haven’t seen either yet, so who knows? – so take last week’s grosses with a grain of salt. Liberation took in $225,705 with a fairly meager attendance-capacity ratio of 64%. Little Bear Ridge Road, starring the ever great Laurie Metcalf, took in $362,644, filling about 78% of seats. I’m guessing those figures will jump when reviews come out after the opening nights.
The much anticipated Chess revival, starring super-cast Aaron Tveit (Moulin Rouge!), Lea Michele (Funny Girl, Glee), and Nicholas Christopher, Chess sold out its first four previews at the Imperial, scoring an impressive $1,203,198. Opening night is November 16.
Shows that sold out their venues were the usual suspects – Art (with a nine-performance week), Buena Vista Social Club, Chess, Hadestown, Hamilton, Just In Time (with its usual SRO numbers), Mamma Mia!, Maybe Happy Ending, Oh, Mary!, Ragtime, Waiting for Godot, and Wicked.
Top earners for the week were Hamilton (again a whopping $3,764,180, even if its down by what amounts to spare change of $278,726); Wicked, $2,266,226; Waiting for Godot, $1,833,708; Art, $1,787,792; and Mamma Mia!, $1,645,970
Underperformers for the week were Beetlejuice at just 68% of capacity at the Palace (maybe they should have gone with the pomp and circumstance of an official opening after all); Chicago, 71% of capacity and Hell’s Kitchen at 84% of capacity, not great, but not catastrophic.
In all, the 32 shows on Broadway took in a decent $38,189,430 for the week ending October 19, a slip of about 3% from the previous week but up 12% from last year at this time. Attendance was at 277,744, even with last week, up 4% year-to-year.
Season to date, Broadway, in the 21st week of the 2025-26 season, has grossed $718,605,099, up about 11% over last year at this time, with total attendance of 5,569,709 up 6%.
All figures courtesy of The Broadway League. For more box office information visit the League’s website.