Broadway Grosses: Dear Evan Hansen Off to Strong Start at Box Office

The much-buzzed about Dear Evan Hansen began Broadway previews this week and immediately broke into our top five shows by capacity list. Bringing in a solid $804,291 over seven performances, we’re expecting the early Tony frontrunner to go from strength to strength in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, the perennial favorites, Hamilton, The Lion King, Wicked, Aladdin and The Book of Mormon all made the top five by gross. On the other end of the spectrum, In Transit, also in previews, took home the least of any show on Broadway with $238,222, although it is in the smallest house. The a cappella tuner will be looking to word of mouth and good reviews to build its audience moving forward.

Here’s a look at who was on top—and who was not—for the week ending November 20:

FRONTRUNNERS (By Gross)
1. Hamilton ($2,454,656)
2. The Lion King ($1,812,204)
3. Wicked ($1,481,062)
4. Aladdin ($1,356,518)
5. The Book of Mormon ($1,326,359)

UNDERDOGS (By Gross)
5. Heisenberg ($426,167)
4. The Color Purple ($396,147)
3. The Cherry Orchard ($309,281)
2. The Encounter ($239,584)
1. In Transit ($238,222)**

FRONTRUNNERS (By Capacity)
1. The Book of Mormon (102.38%)
2. Hamilton (101.74%)
3. The Lion King (98.25%)
4. Dear Evan Hansen (98.08%)*
5. Aladdin (96.53%)

UNDERDOGS (By Capacity)
5. On Your Feet! (66.55%)
4. Kinky Boots (66.15%)
3. The Color Purple (62.62%)
2. Fiddler on the Roof (60.61%)
1. The Encounter (55.48%)

* Number based on seven preview performances
** Number based on eight preview performances

Source: The Broadway League