The star-packed revival of Other Desert Cities posted a $1,879,441 opening week of previews at the Hudson, selling out all seven performances for the week ending October 4. That put the Jon Robin Baitz play, directed by John Benjamin Hickey and led by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ed Harris, Allison Janney, Joe Keery and Lily Rabe, at No. 2 on the Broadway grosses chart.
The only show ahead of it was Hamilton, which grossed $2,704,838 with Christopher Jackson back in the cast. But the new revival won the pricing race: its $275.66 average paid admission edged out Hamilton‘s $251.78 as the week’s costliest seat.
Why the average ticket matters
For media planners and entertainment marketers, average paid admission is a cleaner pricing-power signal than the top-line number alone. Across all 28 Broadway productions, the average paid admission was $122.51. Other Desert Cities commanded roughly 2.25 times that before its official opening, evidence that a limited run with high-wattage casting can convert scarcity into premium inventory.
The sellout also arrived during previews, not after reviews. That is a demand signal: buyers were paying a premium for early access to a star cast, not for critical consensus.
The week’s broader box office
Broadway’s 28 shows grossed $27,735,569 for the week, up 15% from the previous week but down 12% from the same period last year. Attendance of 226,390 was up 8% week-on-week and down 3% year-on-year. All but five productions reported weekly gains.
- Hamilton: $2,704,838
- Other Desert Cities: $1,879,441
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: $1,671,543
- MJ: $1,588,467
- The Lion King: $1,498,471
New to the roster, Billy Crystal’s solo show 860 filled 83% of seats at the Imperial across five previews and grossed $854,574. The non-profit production The Imaginary Invalid, starring Bill Irwin, filled 92% for seven previews at the Haimes and grossed $352,824. Their opening nights are October 21 and October 22, respectively.
Where demand is soft
Not every title is selling out. Six and Stranger Things: The First Shadow each filled about 68% of capacity, with grosses of $562,105 and $571,076. Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) filled 65% and grossed $503,692. All three have closing dates: November 29 for Two Strangers, and January 3, 2027, for both Six and Stranger Things.
Season-to-date, Broadway has grossed $593,216,158, down about 7% from last year at this time, with total attendance of 4,906,881 down 2% year-to-year. The weekly bounce is real, but the season is still running behind last year’s pace.
What to do with the data
Media teams should track average ticket price and capacity together, not gross alone. A strong top-line number can hide weak fill rates, and a modest gross can hide pricing power. The three closing shows are an early warning that soft capacity is translating into shorter runs.
For brands buying around live theatre, star-led limited engagements offer a concentrated, high-intent window. The Other Desert Cities pricing gap over Hamilton shows that casting, timing and scarcity can beat the established premium franchise on per-seat value.
Source: Deadline
