The hubbub over the Tony Awards has nearly obscured the fact that Broadway has had a banner season by virtually every yardstick, artistic and commercial. Variety newspaper reports that Broadway broke or approached records for box-office receipts, attendance, numbers of shows and "shows actually worth seeing."
Broadway sold $436 million worth of tickets, up 7.3 percent from last year's record. Higher ticket prices, averaging $46.06 per ticket, were partly credited for the increase.
Attendance rose 4.7 percent from last year to 9.5 million, close to the all-time record of 10.8 million in 1980-81.
There were 38 shows produced on Broadway, versus 29 last season, though this figure is far below the 200-plus productions mounted in the roaring 20's.
The Broadway theatre season traditionally ends May 31.
