Other Desert Cities made an immediate impact at the Broadway box office, taking in $1,879,441 during its first week of previews at the Hudson. All seven performances were sold out for the week ending October 4.
The revival of Jon Robin Baitz’s Tony Award-winning play stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ed Harris, Allison Janney, Joe Keery and Lily Rabe, with John Benjamin Hickey directing.
Its first-week total placed Other Desert Cities at No. 2 on the weekly grosses chart, behind only Hamilton. The musical earned $2,704,838 during a week that received a boost from Christopher Jackson’s return to the cast.
While Hamilton remained Broadway’s top earner, Other Desert Cities claimed the week’s highest average ticket price. Its average paid admission was $275.66, compared with $251.78 for Hamilton. Across all 28 productions, the average paid admission was $122.51.
The two chart leaders were also the only productions to sell every available seat. Several other shows reached at least 95% of capacity: Chicago, Hadestown, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Just in Time, MJ, Paranormal Activity, Schmigadoon! and School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play.
Billy Crystal’s ‘860’ Joins the Broadway Lineup
Billy Crystal’s solo show 860 was another notable newcomer, grossing $854,574 from five preview performances at the Imperial. The production played to 83% of capacity and is scheduled to open October 21.
The Imaginary Invalid, starring Bill Irwin, also joined the roster. The non-prof production filled 92% of seats across seven previews at the Haimes and earned $352,824. Its opening night is set for October 22.
Another recent non-prof arrival, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play, continued to draw strong attendance. The production reached 96% of capacity at the Friedman and grossed $351,072.
Chicago, featuring Reece Weaver as Roxie, filled 98% of seats at the Ambassador and collected $1,030,366. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, with Tom Felton as Draco, played to 96% capacity and earned $1,671,543.
Rounding out the week’s five highest-grossing productions after Hamilton, Other Desert Cities and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child were MJ, with $1,588,467, and The Lion King, with $1,498,471.
Broadway Posts a 15% Weekly Increase
Most productions moved in a positive direction, with 23 of the 28 shows reporting higher grosses than the previous week. Most of the five declines were minor, although Oh, Mary! fell by $241,332 to $1,216,930.
The Lion King dropped $202,402 after canceling its Saturday matinee, finishing the week at $1,498,471.
At the lower end of the attendance chart, Six and Stranger Things: The First Shadow each operated at approximately 68% of capacity. They grossed $562,105 and $571,076, respectively. Both productions have posted January 3, 2027, closing dates.
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) played to 65% capacity and earned $503,692. Its closing date is November 29.
Collectively, Broadway’s 28 productions grossed $27,735,569 for the week ending October 4. That represented a 15% increase over the previous week, although the total was 12% below the comparable period last year.
Attendance reached 226,390, rising 8% week to week while remaining 3% lower year over year.
Through the 19th week of the 2026-27 season, Broadway has generated $593,216,158. Season-to-date grosses were down approximately 7% from the same point last year, while total attendance of 4,906,881 represented a 2% year-over-year decline. All box-office figures were provided by The Broadway League.
What Happens Next?
The next key dates belong to the newest productions: 860 opens October 21, followed by The Imaginary Invalid on October 22. Further ahead, Two Strangers is set to close November 29, while Six and Stranger Things: The First Shadow are scheduled to finish their runs January 3, 2027.