‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’ Hits Record Box Office Numbers in Final Broadway Days
According to CinemaDrame News Agency, Cats: The Jellicle Ball has posted its highest weekly gross to date as it nears the end of its Broadway run. Facing an early closing date of August 9, the show sold out all available tickets for the week ending August 2, bringing in $1,405,709—an increase of $216,278 over the previous week.
Famed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber announced last month that high production costs and current economic conditions forced the decision to wrap up performances at the Broadhurst Theatre. Consequently, the final curtain will fall five months earlier than its previously extended end date of January 17, 2027.
Every Brilliant Thing, starring Tracee Ellis Ross, which concludes its run on Sunday, August 10, also experienced a last-minute surge of theatregoers. The production grossed $657,451 last week, reaching 99% capacity—its best performance since Ross joined the cast on July 8.
Overall, the Broadway market maintained relative stability last week. Across 29 running shows (one fewer than the previous week following the closure of Jitney), total box office receipts reached $33,889,856. This represents a minor 3% dip from the previous week, but a 13% increase compared to the same period last year. Total attendance stood at 263,897, down 3% from the week prior, yet up 11% year-over-year.
In addition to Cats, several other productions achieved 100% capacity, including Death of a Salesman with $2,222,450 (the week’s second highest-grossing show), Hadestown ($939,448), Hamilton ($2,363,268, the week’s top-grossing show), MJ ($1,856,296), Ragtime ($1,887,495), and The Outsiders ($1,043,759). Harry Potter and the Cursed Child also reached 99% capacity, matching Every Brilliant Thing, while grossing $1,898,022.
Productions including Aladdin, Buena Vista Social Club, Just in Time, Moulin Rouge!, Oh, Mary!, Operation Mincemeat, Schmigadoon!, The Book of Mormon, The Lion King (third overall with $2,160,847), The Lost Boys, and Wicked filled between 95% and 98% of their seats.
On the lower end, SIX, Stranger Things: The First Shadow, The Great Gatsby, and Two Strangers filled less than 85% of their venue capacities. The Rocky Horror Show posted $814,352 at 86% capacity, while Titanic grossed $822,795 with an 88% attendance rate.
notably, Ragtime broke the house record at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater for the third time, grossing $1,887,495. The musical also commanded the highest average ticket price of the week at $224.06 (Hamilton followed closely at $220.35, while the overall Broadway average ticket price was $128.42).
Lincoln Center’s Off-Broadway Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater set a record of its own, with Whoopi’s Monopolies grossing $271,690 to mark a new venue high.
Ten weeks into the 2026–2027 season, total Broadway grosses stand at $351,725,557—a roughly 5% decline compared to the same point last year—with total attendance at 2,863,791, representing a 1% drop.
