The number of tickets sold, however, was down marginally — from 11.4 million in 2002 to 11.2 million in 2003 — indicating a general rise in ticket prices. The 2003 ticket total is nearly one million theatregoers short of the record year of 2000, which saw 12.1 million in tickets sold. The year 2000, of course, was the last full year not to suffer from the economic fallout brought on by the events of Sept. 11, 2001.

Matching the 2003 trends were the figures for the 2003-04 season thus far. The season, which officially began immediately after the 2003 Tony Awards in early June, has seen $445.4 millon at the box office and 6.65 million tickets sold. In 2003, the numbers were $436.8 million and 6.92 million tickets.

The money taken in this season would be $3.6 million less if Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick hadn't decided to return to The Producers. That is how much was taken in at the St. James Theatre in the 12 hours after the three-month Lane-Broderick run went on sale.