Broadway box office surge during the busy spring season; “Proof,” “The Rocky Horror Show,” and “Dog Day Afternoon” fill theaters

According to the CinemaDrame news agency, Broadway box office saw a slight dip last week, likely due to Easter and spring break travelers returning home, as well as intense competition from around 40 simultaneous productions, including several new arrivals, all vying for audience attention.

Among the new shows, “Proof” performed strongly in terms of attendance, filling nearly 100% of seats at the Booth Theatre and grossing $935,431. “The Rocky Horror Show” achieved 98% capacity at Studio 54, bringing in $727,283, although a Wednesday matinee performance was canceled. “Dog Day Afternoon” at the August Wilson Theatre sold out completely, earning $1,114,914.

Other spring productions also posted solid numbers. “Giant” grossed $1,215,687, while “Every Brilliant Thing” brought in $1,566,354. “Ragtime” also continued its strong run, earning $1,152,711.

On the other hand, “Beaches,” which is set for its official opening the following night, had a slower start, filling only 61% of seats at the Majestic Theatre and grossing $473,027. Its average ticket price of around $60 was relatively modest.

Many new productions were operating at 80–90% capacity. “Fear of 13” reached 88% capacity with $751,206 in sales, though complimentary press and opening-night tickets likely influenced those figures. A similar situation was seen with “Fallen Angels” at the Hayes Theatre, which filled 82% of seats and grossed $433,166.

Other notable performances included “Schmigadoon,” which, in its final full preview week before opening night, filled 90% of the Nederlander Theatre and earned $631,114. “Becky Shaw” increased its gross by nearly $75,000 to $420,131. “Titanic” rose by $127,025 from the previous week, reaching $752,722 with 87% capacity at the St. James Theatre. “Ballast,” opening the same night, filled 90% of the Friedman Theatre and grossed $260,531. “The Jonathan Turner Has Come and Gone” filled 81% of the Barrymore Theatre with $829,119 in sales and is set to open on April 25. “Lost Boys” achieved 88% capacity at the Palace Theatre, grossing $958,537 and scheduled to open on April 26.

Overall, most running shows saw declines compared with the previous week, with only nine productions moving against the trend. Shows that sold out entirely included “Dog Day Afternoon,” “Every Brilliant Thing,” “Hamilton,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” “Proof,” and “Ragtime.” Productions exceeding 90% capacity included “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Cats: The Jellicle Ball,” “Chicago,” “Death of a Salesman,” “Giant,” “Hadestown,” “Just in Time,” “Moulin Rouge!,” “Operation Mincemeat,” “Schmigadoon,” “Ballast,” “The Lion King,” “The Rocky Horror Show,” and “Wicked.”

Total Broadway box office for the week ending April 19 reached $39,084,851, down 10% from the previous week and 12% year-over-year. Total attendance was 327,269, down 5% week-over-week but relatively stable compared to last year.

For week 47 of the 2025–2026 season, Broadway’s cumulative gross reached $1,713,932,461—about 6% higher than last year. Total attendance stood at 12,946,126, marking a 3% increase.

All figures were provided by The Broadway League.