A data narrative by Becca Gottlieb
On March 12th, 2020, the lights of Broadway turned off for the COVID-19 pandemic for one of the longest stretches in the history of show business. Due to the lack of social distancing capabilities along with a primarily older audience, New York City’s tourism industry took a major hit with Broadway shows being one of the biggest tourism drivers. In the fall of 2021, Broadway finally reopened its doors again and struggled to lure loyal patrons back to their seats. After studying the annual grosses from the 2023 season and although grosses are increasing, they are still not back up to pre-covid levels and the height will be a struggle to maintain.
The Broadway League, the official national trade association for the Broadway industry published their most recent annual report of annual grosses. With a large dip in grosses during the pandemic shutdown in 2020 and with only some major Broadway shows opening in 2021 like Hamilton, Wicked, and The Lion King, it took until 2022 to increase grosses. Since then, grosses have been increasing as theatergoers return to Broadway with the excitement of new shows and 18 new shows opening last spring. In order to keep this momentum and get back to pre-pandemic grosses, audiences must keep returning to the theatre.
Broadway Grosses are slowly increasing post-COVID-19 | Created with Datawrapper
Total Broadway season grosses from 2009-2023www.datawrapper.d
Not only should the amount of revenue be analyzed, but the attendance of Broadway shows should be carefully noted as well. There are many other variables to consider when analyzing the annual grosses of Broadway shows. The average ticket prices of each show vary according to demand, size of the show, and the cost of production. The chart below tracks the attendance of Broadway shows from 2009–2023 and it is clear that attendance is increasing post-pandemic but has not climbed back up to pre-pandemic levels.
Average Broadway show attendance is bouncing back | Created with Datawrapper
Total yearly Broadway show attendance from 2009-2023www.datawrapper.de
Audience attendance is still down 17% compared to its growing height before the pandemic (Paulson, 2024). Audiences are still hesitant to return to Broadway due to health safety concerns as evident with lower numbers and some temporary closings during the Omicron variant surge. (Hall, 2022). However, theatre industry professionals remain optimistic. “While we are not yet back to pre-COVID attendance levels, audiences are returning,” said Broadway League president Charlotte St. Martin in a statement (Evans, 2023).
In taking a closer look at the audience demographics on who has returned to the theatre after the pandemic, The Broadway League has created a snapshot of the 2023 season. International and domestic tourists have finally returned and local New Yorkers are still attending the theatre on a regular basis. Although tourism is bouncing back, there is still a 30% decrease from the volume in 2021. The suburban area visitors have decreased by 27% compared to 2019. Perhaps the increase in ticket prices or safety concerns in Times Square has deterred suburbanites.
International tourists have returned to Broadway post-pandemic | Created with Datawrapper
Audience locations from 2006-2023 by percentage (%)www.datawrapper.de
Some positive data from the chart below shows that the average age of audience members has been decreasing. The average age of audience members in 2023 was 40.4, that is two years younger than the audience in 2019. A this decrease could be due to older audiences not attending as many shows because of health concerns from crowded theatres.
Average age of Broadway audiences getting younger | Created with Datawrapper
Average age of Broadway audience members from 2006-2023www.datawrapper.de
Perhaps one of the most positive data elements is in the chart below which demonstrates the increased diversity of Broadway audiences since the pandemic. In 2023, 29% of theatregoers were BIPOC, which is the highest percentage to date. This can be attributed to the Black Lives Matter movement that developed in 2021 which sparked many new shows created by people of color and centered around BIPOC themes. Shows such as Chicken and Biscuits, A Strange Loop, and the all black revival of Death of a Salesman have featured BIPOC performers, creators, and creative teams and have attracted a more diverse audience.
Increasing Diversity of Broadway Audiences | Created with Datawrapper
Race/Ethnicity of Broadway Audiences from 2006-2023 by percentage (%)www.datawrapper.de
In 2020, 300 BIPOC theatre makers, across various disciplines signed a letter — accompanied by a petition — demanding that the white American theatre recognize its legacy of white fragility and white supremacy. The petition demanded an equitable and more inclusive safe space for BIPOC artists to thrive in the Broadway community (Clement, 2020). Theatre audiences that are primarily white can only grow to be more diverse with more diverse creators from the inside. Although BIPOC audiences have reached their highest audience percentages to date, the majority of audiences are still 70.6% white. Although there has been progress, there is still miles of work to do on this front.
Although the data from the post-covid reports indicate that grosses and attendance are increasing, there is still a long road ahead to get the industry back up to pre-pandemic levels. The industry has been pushing to get audiences back to the theatre but it is also important to maintain that audience so they return to support new shows every year. In a survey taken in 2023 by The Broadway League, the chart below shows that the majority (95%) of patrons plan on returning to Broadway.
Majority of audience members will return to Broadway | Created with Datawrapper
Likelihood of audience members to return to see another Broadway showwww.datawrapper.de
Younger and more diverse audiences also mean more longevity for the Broadway industry. Although the industry is pushing to include more BIPOC artists on Broadway to attract a more diverse audience, there is still more engagement needed to integrate more audience members into a primarily white cultural activity. The fall season is rapidly approaching and filled with a brand new repertoire of diverse new plays and musicals.
Even though it seems like things are getting back to normal post-pandemic, there is still a long road ahead to get back to a pre-pandemic flow. Help support the industry and go see that Broadway show you’ve been dying to see…and bring your friends and family too.
Citations:
Audience Snapshot: Four Years After Shutdown, a Mixed Recovery
Covid brought live performance to a halt. Now the audience for pop concerts and sporting events has roared back, while…www.nytimes.com
Broadway Slow To Recover From Covid Even As Audience Diversity Increases, Report Finds
While Broadway is attracting a more diverse audience, the theater industry still hasn’t completely recovered from…deadline.com
Becca Gottlieb Creative 
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