Broadway’s newest star-driven productions packed theaters during the week ending October 18, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Billy Crystal and Bradley Whitford attached to some of the strongest recent arrivals.

Other Desert Cities, the Jon Robin Baitz revival starring Louis-Dreyfus, Ed Harris, Allison Janney, Lily Rabe and Joe Keery, led the new productions and ranked third among the week’s overall earners. The show sold out the Hudson and collected $1,817,584.

That gross was $339,771 below the previous week, a decline attributed to heavily comped press previews and the production’s October 18 opening night. Even with that drop, Other Desert Cities posted one of Broadway’s highest average paid admissions and its most expensive top premium ticket.

Crystal and Whitford draw preview crowds

860, Billy Crystal’s new solo show, played seven previews at the Imperial ahead of its opening night. The production filled 98% of available seats and grossed $1,268,334, with complimentary press nights also affecting the tally.

Meanwhile, A Few Good Men, the Aaron Sorkin revival starring Bradley Whitford, filled the Vivian Beaumont during seven previews. The nonprofit Lincoln Center production brought in $1,246,301.

Two more shows made notable starts. Wanted, the new musical by Angelica Chéri and Ross Baum starring Solea Pfeiffer and Liisi LaFontaine, was virtually sold out across five previews at the James Earl Jones, earning $451,014.

At the Haimes, nonprofit Roundabout’s The Imaginary Invalid, starring Bill Irwin, reached 90% of capacity and grossed $428,094 while in previews.

Departures and cast arrivals lift long-running shows

The week also brought significant cast activity at established productions. Jeremy Jordan played his final performances in Just In Time, helping the Bobby Darin bio-musical sell out Circle in the Square and gross $1,035,757. That represented a week-over-week increase of $108,337.

Matthew Morrison was set to take over the role of Bobby Darin immediately following Jordan’s departure.

Aladdin grossed $1,195,405 and filled 92% of seats at the New Amsterdam as Sherry Shepherd joined the cast as the Genie over the weekend. Her first full week of performances was scheduled to begin immediately afterward.

Beyond the headline-making cast changes, Chicago, Hadestown, Hamilton, MJ and Oh, Mary! also sold out.

Productions coming close to full capacity included & Juliet, Buena Vista Social Club, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Operation Mincemeat, Paranormal Activity, School Girls, or The African Mean Girls Play, The Book of Mormon, The Lion King, The Outsiders, The Rocky Horror Show and Wicked.

Broadway’s biggest grosses and ticket prices

Hamilton remained the overall box office leader with $2,777,340, followed by The Lion King at $2,017,873. After Other Desert Cities came MJ with $1,760,514, Oh, Mary! with $1,533,627 and Wicked with $1,425,323.

Only three productions recorded average paid admissions above $200. Hamilton led that measure at $258.86, followed by Other Desert Cities at $233.26 and Oh, Mary! at $214.79. Across all 30 Broadway productions, the average paid admission was $131.05.

Other Desert Cities carried the week’s highest top premium price at $799, which was $200 above Hamilton. During Jordan’s closing stretch, Just In Time offered a top premium ticket of $774.50.

At the lower end of the average-price range, Stranger Things: The First Shadow averaged $80.44. The Imaginary Invalid averaged $80.88, followed by Wanted at $86.37 and School Girls at $88.87.

ShowBiz Take

The week’s numbers show a Broadway marketplace with substantial interest in both fresh arrivals and notable cast moments. Other Desert Cities, 860 and A Few Good Men all played to full or nearly full houses, while Jordan’s farewell gave Just In Time a six-figure weekly boost.

Yet those individual successes arrived against a softer overall financial picture. Broadway’s 30 productions grossed a combined $33,963,816, down approximately 4% from the previous week and 11% from the comparable period last year. Attendance reached 259,164, rising 4% week to week but falling 7% year over year.

Through the 21st week of the 2026-27 season, Broadway had grossed $662,472,408, approximately 8% below the same point last year. Season-to-date attendance stood at 5,414,541, down 3% year over year. All box office figures were reported by The Broadway League.