Broadway A Hit

The lights are shining bright on Broadway. According to the [League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc.], attendance at Broadway shows rose 2.6 percent last season, hitting a whopping 12.31 million, and making this only the second time in 50 years that ticket sales have topped 12 million. Grosses also set a new all-time record, rising 8.9 percent to $939 million. Now that’s a lot of bling for the razzle dazzle (sorry).

But the news is [not entirely optimistic]. Though this year’s gains have resulted in record-breaking highs, they are actually smaller than last year’s, when attendance increased by 4.1 percent and grosses increased by more than 12. The League also drew attention to [skyrocketing costs](http://www.newyorkbusiness.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070530/FREE/70530009/1084), noting that, while twenty years ago, it took a Broadway show an average of 30 weeks to break even and begin seeing profits, the average is now closer to two years. Leave it to drama queens to  complain about earning $939 million.

Photo courtesy of [freakapotimus on Flickr]