Masters of the House Record: A Look at Broadway's Record-Breaking 2017 So Far!

It was announced today that the new Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler made headlines yet again as it broke its own box office records with the highest weekly gross in the history of both the Shubert Theatre and The Shubert Organization.

The final gross of $2,322,113.74, over eight performances, marks the fourth time Hello, Dolly! has broken The Shubert Organization's all-time record and the sixth time the show has set the box office record at the Shubert Theatre. Additionally, the production holds the record for the largest pre-performance advance sale in Broadway history.

Though Bette and co. are bringing down the house over at the Shubert this season, 2017 has been a record-setting year for more than a few of Broadway's brightest shows. As we head into a brand-new season, let's take a peek at how some of Broadway's longer running treasures continue to thrive and keep Broadway setting its sights on new heights every Broadway season.

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Best Musical winner Dear Evan Hansen sales shot up to $1.7m in the first week of July, marking the show's best week to date, a new house record at the Music Box Theater, and the highest gross ever for a Broadway house smaller than 1,000 seats.

Broadway's Waitress began performances on Friday, March 25 with a bang, setting a house record for a single performance the Brooks Atkinson Theatre with a gross of $$145,532.00.

Aladdin on Broadway broke the house record at The New Amsterdam Theatre for the week ending January 1, 2017 with a gross of $2,583,344.00 on nine performances, surpassing the previous record of $2,398,010.00. This marks the 12th time the show has broken a New Amsterdam Theatre house record since beginning performances in February 2014.

In its 20th year, The Lion King on Broadway achieved a new milestone, surpassing $3 million in weekly gross for the week ending January 1, 2017. This is the 26th house record the production has set at The Minskoff Theatre, with a gross of $3,098,330.00 on nine performances.

All three of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Broadway musicals rang in the New Year with record-breaking sales, smashing house records at the Winter Garden (School of Rock - The Musical), Majestic (The Phantom of the Opera) and Neil Simon (CATS) Theatres. School of Rock shattered the house record for the third time at the Winter Garden Theatre by grossing $2,022,136.11 for the week ending December 31, 2016. The prior record was set this week last year by the musical which grossed $1,671,628.18. Additionally, School of Rock set a new record for the highest grossing single performance in the Winter Garden's history at the Wednesday, December 28 matinee, with a gross of $241,819.50. In the U.K., School of Rock broke house records at the New London Theatre (a record previously held by War Horse).

At the Majestic Theatre, Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera smashed its previous show / house record with a final gross of $1,942,351.00 for the week ending December 31, 2016.The record was set previously for the week ending December 29, 2013 when the musical grossed $1,843,295.83.

The first-ever revival of Lloyd Webber's CATS broke house records at the Neil Simon for a 9-performance week, smashing the record previously set by All The Way, with a $1,723,568.70 gross for the week ending December 31, 2016.

The Broadway production of The Book of Mormon just surpassed $500 Million in total gross ticket sales since it first premiered at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on February 24, 2011. This rare distinction was achieved during the week ending July 16, 2017, making The Book of Mormon one of the fastest productions in Broadway history to reach this milestone. The Book of Mormon has played at more than 100% capacity each week of its six-and-a-half year run on Broadway.