Box-office gross receipts reached a record high for 2002. The 2002 figure is a projected $705.2 million, surpassing the 2001 total — $664 million — by 9.5% The previous year, 2000, brought in $663.5 million. Though attendance was not as high as 2000 (12.1 million), 2002 attendance was up slightly from 2001, with 11.41 million attending Broadway theatre during the past 12 months. New York theatre also scored during Thanksgiving, when Broadway recorded the highest attendance ever for a Thanksgiving weekend. Forty-six shows opened on The Great White Way in 2002, the most to open in the past decade — the season began with the Tony-nominated Metamorphoses on March 14, and the last of the year was Lincoln Center's production of Dinner at Eight on Dec. 19. Musicals also had a great year; 13 opened on Broadway in 2002, the most to open in a 12-month period in the past ten years.

League President Jed Bernstein is equally optimistic about the year to come. In a statement, Bernstein said, "This season we have a strong roster of 33 shows on the boards, which represent a varied menu of entertainment with broad appeal. The range of genre and subject matter make a wonderful source entertainment for everyone from the most discerning theatre aficionados and first-timers to individuals who usually don't seek out Broadway theatre for entertainment."

For more information about the League of American Theatres and Producers and its many programs, visit www.LiveBroadway.com.