Hit musicals are running longer and making more money than ever — which is illustrated by two fascinating interactive charts.
Seven of the 10 highest-grossing Broadway musicals since 1997 are still running. As are five of the 10 best-attended musicals in the same period.
The timelines show Disney’s The Lion King becoming the highest-grossing musical of all time. And the blockbusters The Producers and Rent getting displaced by stalwarts with higher prices and in some cases more staying power, such as Wicked. (The numbers aren’t inflation-adjusted.)
Press play on the lower left-hand corners to see the rankings shift over 23 years.
TicketSource, a U.K.-based box-office management system provider, created the graphics using more-or-less up-to-date data from the Broadway League. The charts begin on June 2, 1997. The initial numbers (before pressing play) refer to grosses and attendance through December 1997.
Note: This story has been corrected. An earlier version of the timelines said they began in the 1996/97 season.
