The Rocky Horror Picture Show Smashes House Record Amid Broadway’s Summer Slump

According to CinemaDrame News Agency, the summer heat and June temperatures have finally taken a toll on the Broadway box office, causing most productions to see a dip in grosses. However, The Rocky Horror Picture Show defied the downward trend, pulling in a staggering $1.2 million and shattering the all-time house record at the historic Studio 54.

For the week ending, total Broadway grosses hovered around $36.7 million amidst a slight rise in vacant seats. This represents a 6% decline from the previous week and a 7% drop compared to the same period last year. Despite the broader market stagnation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show operated at 97% capacity, eclipsing the venue’s previous box office record held by Oedipus (starring Mark Strong).

Productions Cooling Down in the Summer Heat

Out of the 35 productions currently running on Broadway, 24 experienced a decline in weekly grosses. Among them, several prominent shows saw noticeable dips, though they still managed to maintain comfortable capacities above 90%:

• The Outsiders: Fell by $116,000, bringing in a weekly gross of $922,000.
• Joe Turner’s Come and Gone: Decreased by $98,000, post-recording a $958,000 take.
• Wicked: Slipped by $97,000, but still crossed the million-dollar mark at $1.2 million.
• Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York): Suffered an $88,000 drop.
• Titanic (The Musical Parody): Faced a $61,000 decline.

Closing Weeks Spark Box Office Surge

Three productions officially wrapped up their runs last week. In keeping with Broadway tradition, theatergoers rushing to catch their final performances gave these shows a significant parting boost at the box office:

• Death Becomes Her: Experienced a staggering $342,000 surge, finishing strong with a $1.2 million weekly gross.
• The Monster: Jumped by $137,000, completely selling out its final week to reach $1.6 million.
• The Fear of 13: Rose by $181,000, boosting its venue capacity to 88%.

Alongside The Monster, other critically acclaimed productions including Death of a Salesman, Every Brilliant Thing, Hamilton, and Ragtime also operated at 100% capacity with entirely sold-out houses.

Top 5 Highest-Grossing Broadway Shows of the Week

The leaderboard for the week’s highest earners remains dominated by Broadway’s musical juggernauts and major dramas:

As Broadway enters the fifth week of the new 2026–2027 season, cumulative box office revenues have reached approximately $189.7 million. While current figures reflect a slight downward trend compared to the same period last year, industry analysts remain optimistic that ticket sales will bounce back as the late summer months approach.