Deadline Investigates HAMILTON Budgets and Public Theater Profits

HAMILTON is the biggest hit that Broadway has seen in a while, and in a recent Deadline article, Jeremy Gerard investigates the money that got the show on its feet at the Public Theater, and the money that the production has brought in since Broadway performances began. Gerard writes:

Last week, Hamilton took in $1.7 million at the Richard Rodgers, an extraordinary 17 percent over its gross potential, during a slow week on Broadway. Subtract 8 percent for the actual gross, and you still have receipts of about $1.5 million. It's a big show with a large cast, so let's estimate weekly running costs of $650,ooo, leaving net profit of about $900,000 in a very good week. (The producers declined a request to say how much Hamilton costs to run on a weekly basis.)

For the Public Theater, that's $45,000 (5 percent of $900K) plus $17,000 (1 percent of $1.7 million) for a weekly total of $62,000 - $3.2 million per year at that rate, once the show has repaid its initial costs - including that $1.7 million for the enhanced production at the Public. Even if the running expenses are as high as $750K per week, the Public would still receive $57,000 per week, just shy of $3 million per year, to continue its good work, which includes Free Shakespeare In The Park and all those shows down at the Public in the East Village. In a time of diminishing public support of the arts, these deals have been a lifeline for nonprofit theaters including the American Repertory Theatre in Cambridge, MA (Finding Neverland), Hartford Stage (A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Murder) and New York Theatre Workshop (Rent, Once) among many others.

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The new musical Hamilton has book, music and lyrics by Tony and Grammy Award-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also plays the title role. The musical is directed byThomas Kail, with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and music direction and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire.Hamilton is inspired by Ron Chernow's biography "Alexander Hamilton."

The cast of Hamilton is comprised of Lin-Manuel Miranda (Alexander Hamilton), Daveed Diggs(Marquis De Lafayette,Thomas Jefferson), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Angelica Schuyler), Christopher Jackson (George Washington),Jonathan Groff (King George), Jasmine Cephas Jones (Peggy Schuyler, Maria Reynolds), Javier Muñoz (Hamilton alternate), Okieriete Onaodowan (Hercules Mulligan, James Madison), Leslie Odom, Jr. (Aaron Burr), Anthony Ramos(John Laurens, PhilipHamilton) and Phillipa Soo (Eliza Hamilton).

HAMILTON is the acclaimed new musical about the scrappy young immigrant Alexander Hamilton, the $10 Founding Father who forever changed America with his revolutionary ideas and actions. During his life cut too short, he served as George Washington's chief aide, was the first Treasury Secretary, a loving husband and father, despised by his fellow Founding Fathers and shot to death by Aaron Burrin their legendary duel.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus