Broadway Grosses: Plays Return to the Great White Way

Now that we’re looking at Labor Day in the rearview mirror, the kids are back in school and white shoes are lovingly packed away, the theater season has officially begun. After the holiday weekend, only stalwarts like Wicked and The Lion King remained above the million dollar mark, with most other titles taking a sizable dip. After a brief absence, plays came back to Broadway in the form of Mrs. Warren’s Profession and Brief Encounter, the first of many eagerly anticipated fall openings.

Here is a look at who was on top and who was not for the week ending September 12:

FRONTRUNNERS (By Gross)
1. Wicked ($1,400,569)
2. The Lion King ($1,228,315)
3. Jersey Boys ($961,606)
4. Billy Elliot ($854,498)
5. Promises, Promises ($825,154)

UNDERDOGS (By Gross)
5. In the Heights ($407,974)
4. Fela! ($344,626)
3. Next to Normal ($236,417)
2. Mrs. Warren’s Profession ($179,981)*
1. Brief Encounter (123,695)**

FRONTRUNNERS (By Capacity)
1. Wicked (94.96%)
2. Jersey Boys (94.37%)
3. Mamma Mia (85.54%)
4. Billy Elliot (84.03%)
5. The Lion King (83.40%)

UNDERDOGS (By Capacity)
5. Brief Encounter (63.25%)**
4. In the Heights (63.15%)
3. Million Dollar Quartet (58.48%)
2. Mary Poppins (54.81%)
1. West Side Story (50.47%)

*Number based on seven preview performances.
**Number based on five preview performances.
Data provided by the Broadway League.