Harry Potter and Hamilton Lead Broadway’s Record-Breaking Week
Broadway is experiencing a surge in ticket sales as the winter holiday season approaches, with Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Hamilton leading the charge. Last week saw overall grosses reach $40,638,869 across 34 currently running shows – a significant increase from the week prior and exceeding figures from the same period last season, which was itself the highest-grossing on record.
Tom Felton Fuels Record-Breaking Harry Potter Sales
The return of Tom Felton to the stage in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, reprising his iconic role as Draco Malfoy, has proven to be a major draw for audiences. The production brought in $2.97 million last week, marking the highest single-week gross in the play’s history and setting a new record for an eight-performance week at the Lyric Theatre. “The butterbeer must be pouring generously over at Broadway’s Lyric Theatre,” one industry observer noted, highlighting the show’s continued success. This follows a previous record-setting week with only seven performances, demonstrating the significant impact of Felton’s presence.
Hamilton’s Encore Run Continues to Captivate
Meanwhile, Hamilton continues its reign as a Broadway powerhouse, bolstered by the return of Tony winner Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr. The encore run has reinvigorated the acclaimed musical, driving ticket prices to an average of $342.96 last week, with some seats reaching $1,500. However, Odom’s final performance is scheduled for November 26, and analysts predict ticket prices will likely stabilize afterward.
Mixed Fortunes for New Productions
The Broadway landscape isn’t without its challenges. The Queen of Versailles, which recently announced its final performance on the first Sunday after New Year’s, still managed to generate a solid $877,244 in grosses, filling 86% of its seats. Despite this, a senior official stated that the closure likely indicates the weekly take wasn’t sufficient to cover running costs, or that concerns about future advance sales played a key role in the decision.
Chess and Other New Hits Shine
Despite four heavily comped performances, Chess, back on Broadway for its first revival starring Aaron Tveit, Lea Michele, and Nicholas Christopher, cleared the $2 million mark and ranks as the fourth highest-grossing show currently on the boards. According to a company release, it’s proving to be one of the best-performing new shows of the season, alongside Oh mama!, Art, Waiting for Godot, and Ragtime.
Broadway’s Overall Health Remains Strong
Despite the impending closure of The Queen of Versailles, the overall outlook for the 2025-2026 Broadway season is exceptionally positive. The industry is currently exceeding the same period from last season by more than 10%, positioning it for a strong finish to the year and a promising start to 2026.
The $1 Million Club (shows that earned $1 million or more at the box office) includes 17 of the 34 currently running productions.
The 90s Club (shows that played to 90% or higher of their seats filled over the entire week) boasts 19 productions, including Hamilton (101.32%), Just in Time (100.89%), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (100%), Oh, Mary! (100%), Ragtime (100%), Wicked (100%), Waiting for Godot, Chess, Art, Oh mama!, Hadestown, The Lion King, Oedipus, Buena Vista Social Club, The Outsiders, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Maybe Happy Ending, Aladdin, and Marjorie Prime.
