[lz_table title=”Top-Grossing Broadway Shows” source=”Broadway World”]Top Five

“The Lion King”,$43.4 million

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“Hamilton”,$40.5 million

“Wicked”,$39.0 million

“Aladdin”,$33.6 million

“The Book of Mormon”,$31.5 million

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On top of that, “Hamilton” will soon begin a national tour that will take it to 12 cities over the next two years. Having grossed more than $61 million on Broadway in July through early April, one can expect crushing demand for those tickets as well. 

Miranda is one of the hottest stars of Broadway, and his career is far from over. In 2018, he will star with Emily Blunt in a new sequel to 1964’s “Mary Poppins” called “Mary Poppins Returns.”  

But Miranda is not the only name on a Broadway marquee that is filling seats.

Major movie stars, such as Bradley Cooper, Bruce Willis, Al Pacino, Tom Hanks, Patrick Stewart, Hugh Jackman, and others are using the theater as a career pit stop — and theaters are seeing the financial rewards.

NBC has been creating buzz by regularly featuring Broadway’s top musicals with live televised performances of “Peter Pan,” “Sound of Music,” and “The Wiz.” Social media users have descended on NBC’s live broadcasts, helping the musicals become trending topics through thousands of live-tweeters critiquing the actors and performances. 

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Interest in Broadway among kids is way up thanks to the television show “Glee” and fans of the movie “Frozen,” who have learned of Idina Menzel’s stellar Broadway credentials. Broadway has made theater tourism kid-friendly with productions of “The Lion King,” “Wicked,” and “Aladdin.”

Musicals with wider appeal to children have made theater tourism an attractive option … for families who can afford to pay hundreds of dollars per seat.

Despite the popularity of “Hamilton,” “The Lion King” has actually posted larger ticket sales by virtue of having a slightly larger theater, according to the Broadway League.

It’s not just New York, either. Theater in Washington, D.C. is seeing a surge in pricing as well. The Kennedy Center demands a two-year subscription for some show tickets — including its upcoming production of “Hamilton.”

This is great right now for Broadway, and the enthusiasm for art is wonderful. But at these prices, it can’t be said that theater currently is for the masses.