Broadway Grand Rapids Has Record-Breaking Season

Broadway Grand Rapids is celebrating a record-breaking attendance and ticket sales in the 2023-2024 Season which ended yesterday with MJ the Musical. With more than 157,000 attendees over the course of the season, this marks an unparalleled achievement in the 35-year history of Broadway Grand Rapids.

Touring Broadway shows played 72 performances at DeVos Performance Hall this past season and in addition to MJ, included the shows Funny Girl; Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Disney’s Aladdin, Les Misérables, To Kill A Mockingbird, and 3 weeks of Wicked which alone brought more than 54,000 patrons to downtown Grand Rapids. The estimated local economic impact for Grand Rapids is $42,054,420* which is calculated using a multiplier of $3.27 of gross ticket sales ($12,860,679) for the season. This figure includes local labor, salaries, advertising, theater operations, and ancillary expenditures of the ticket purchasers at local establishments such as restaurants, hotels, parking, and retail outlets.

"The impact of Touring Broadway is significant," remarked Meghan Distel, President & CEO of Broadway Grand Rapids. "It serves as an economic engine, supporting local businesses, creating jobs, and generating revenue that enriches cities large and small. Beyond financial benefits, it contributes to cultural enrichment and vitality in Grand Rapids."  

As part of its 35th Anniversary celebrations, Broadway Grand Rapids launched a community initiative spotlighting local organizations and small businesses. This initiative aimed to foster deeper community connections and raise awareness for the Broadway Arts Access program, which removes barriers to attendance. Collaborations included partnerships with AYA Collective, YWCA, Make-A-Wish Michigan, New City Kids, The Hispanic Center, Treetops Collective, and Amplify GR. Networking events were held with groups such as Outpro and the Latina Network of West Michigan. Celebrating alongside Broadway’s milestone were small businesses including Soldadera Coffee, The Mitten Brewery, Cakabakery, The Candied Yam, Ethos Spa, and Francis Jaye boutique.

"Broadway Grand Rapids has thrived over the years thanks to amazing community support," added Distel. "In marking our 35th anniversary, our goal was to celebrate not only with an exceptional lineup of performances but also by engaging with the community. We wanted to amplify the joy of Broadway and highlight some of the local organizations and businesses that make our community a wonderful place to live and work.”

Season Ticket Packages for the 2024-2025 Broadway Grand Rapids season will be available through July 22nd, 2024. Individual tickets for all shows will become available at a later date. The 2024–2025 Season includes Beetlejuice October 8-13, 2024; Mamma Mia! Nov. 26 – Dec. 1, 2024; Moulin Rouge! The Musical Jan. 21 – Feb 2, 2025; Clue March 4 – 9, 2025; A Beautiful Noise April 1 – 6, 2025; Pretty Woman April 29 – May 4, 2025; and Hamilton July 22 – Aug 3, 2025. For tickets and more information visit www.BroadwayGrandRapids.com.
 
*Estimates calculated using the research from the Economic Impact Study commissioned by The Broadway League.
 

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