Theater, Plays, Broadway, Tony Awards

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Theater and Plays

• the highest-grossing Broadway musicals (includes Broadway and touring) are: The Lion King ($2.0 billion), Wicked ($1.8 billion), the Phantom of the Opera ($1.5 billion), Mama Mia! ($864 million), Book of Mormon ($820 million), Hamilton ($817 million), Chicago ($740 million), Jersey Boys ($736 million), Les Miserables ($546 million), and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast ($539 million); Source: Forbes 

• Hamilton is a $1 billion franchise: Broadway $649.9 million, U.S. touring $167.2 million, West End/London $38.6 million, publishing $34.3 million, albums $46.9 million, other merchandise $7.5 million, and the Hamilton Movie $75 million; Source: Forbes 

• Phantom of the Opera is Broadway’s longest-running show (35 years); Broadway’s 2nd longest-running show is the Chicago revival, followed by The Lion King; based on a 1910 French novel, Phantom opened in London’s West End 1986 and on Broadway two years later; it has grossed $1.3 billion and has been Broadway’s largest generator of jobs in Broadway and U.S. theatrical history employng approximately 6,500 people during its run; Source: Forbes and CBS News 

• Phantom of the Opera is credited with the largest receipts for an original stage play, totaling a massive $6 billion over its run; Source: Forbes 

• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the highest-grossing Broadway play in history; Source: Forbes 

• the Broadway musical, "Hamilton," is Broadway's highest-grossing show; Source: WSJ 

• in the 2018 – 2019 season, Broadway shows in New York City welcomed 14.8 million admissions (an all-time high); roughly 35% of those attendances were by people from the New York City metropolitan area; 65% of admissions were made by tourists; respondents reported having paid an average of $145.60 per ticket; the 2018-2019 season grossed $1.82 billion; Source: The Broadway League and The Broadway League 

• the play production that won most Tony Awards is Tom Stoppard’s The Coast of Utopia (2007) - 7 awards; the musical production that won the Most Tony Awards is The Producers, the new Mel Brooks musical (2001) - 12 awards; Source: Tony Awards 

• the world’s longest-running play is The Mousetrap; Agatha Christie’s classic whodunnit had run continuously in London’s West End since 1952, until covid-19 closed theaters in March; Source: Economist 

Tony Awards

• Tony Awards: Broadway's largest night (the American Theatre Wing and Broadway League); Source: CBS

• Tony Awards (2025): 4.85 million viewers; for Broadway theater; Source: Associated Press