Nearly five years into its run at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, Hamilton is still drawing plenty of hype. The musical juggernaut once again dominated Ticket Club’s year-end list of the best-selling Broadway shows.
But just as Springsteen on Broadway almost topped Hamilton last year, Aaron Sorkin’s stage adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird nearly claimed the top spot. Harper Lee’s classic story has been dazzling audiences since it premiered at the Shubert Theatre last December and featured starring turns from acclaimed screen actors Jeff Daniels and Ed Harris.
Long-running favorites like The Lion King and Wicked were Top 10 fixtures yet again, with a trio of new musicals also among the bunch. Tony winners Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations and Hadestown finish 2019 securely in the best-sellers list at No. 4 and 8, respectively. Moulin Rouge!, which has been a Broadway force since its July premiere, captured the No. 9 sales rank.
See the Top 20 best-selling Broadway shows of this year below. Browse tickets for all shows here.
Top 20 Best-Selling Broadway Shows of 2019
| Sales Rank | Show | Average Ticket Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hamilton | $366 |
| 2 | To Kill a Mockingbird | $246 |
| 3 | Dear Evan Hansen | $189 |
| 4 | Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations | $187 |
| 5 | The Lion King | $204 |
| 6 | The Book of Mormon | $140 |
| 7 | Wicked | $146 |
| 8 | Hadestown | $224 |
| 9 | Moulin Rouge! | $256 |
| 10 | Aladdin | $121 |
| 11 | My Fair Lady | $185 |
| 12 | Harry Potter and the Cursed Child | $187 |
| 13 | The Phantom of the Opera | $127 |
| 14 | Frozen | $142 |
| 15 | Come From Away | $149 |
| 16 | Chicago | $130 |
| 17 | Mean Girls | $153 |
| 18 | Beautiful: The Carole King Musical | $150 |
| 19 | Beetlejuice | $154 |
| 20 | The Cher Show | $171 |
Original stories accounted for 55 percent of top Broadway sales, thanks to powerhouse productions like Hamilton and Dear Evan Hansen drawing in eager audiences. However, other shows with universal appeal held their own, and certainly made the year’s bestsellers a mixed bag.
Adaptations of books and films encroached on originals and took a 38 percent stake of the year’s Broadway sales. To Kill A Mockingbird and The Phantom of the Opera represented literary representations. Meanwhile, film adaptations were also abundant. The musical adaptations of Mean Girls, Moulin Rouge! and Beetlejuice fared well, as did a trio of Disney productions (The Lion King, Aladdin, and Frozen).
Top Selling Broadway Shows by Category
The least represented category was jukebox musicals, garnering only 7 percent of sales. Ain’t Too Proud and Moulin Rouge! bolstered the category with minor contributions from the now-folded The Cher Show. However, that’s not to say there’s no staying power from jukebox musicals. Shows like Mamma Mia, Jersey Boys and Rock of Ages have proven their appeal on the Great White Way.
Want to see more posts like this? Check out the rest of our 2019 Year in Review series here.