Six Broadway productions, including the Hugh Jackman-led The Music Man and the 2022 best musical Tony winner A Strange Loop, played their final performances last week, which ushered in full houses and record grosses. 

The Music Man, which has regularly been the highest grossing show in the industry per week, brought in $3.6 million across its final eight performances, marking the best eight-show week the revival has had in its 11-month run, and played to a capacity of 102 percent. The production announced its closure in September, rather than replace Jackman, who was set to depart for his next project.

A Strange Loop, too, went out on a high, bringing in the highest gross of its nine-month run and setting a new house record at the Lyceum Theatre by bringing in $955,590, and playing to a capacity of 99 percent. The critically-acclaimed musical won the Tony honor last year, after being awarded the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, but posted its closing notice after struggling to sell tickets to the unconventional show amid an industrywide downturn in attendance. 

Ohio State Murders, starring Audra McDonald, also closed on Jan. 15, one month earlier than scheduled, after seeing soft demand for tickets.

Though the environment may be tougher, this number of closures is not atypical for January, as many shows set closing dates this month in order to capitalize on the sky-high holiday grosses and then depart before audience numbers dwindle in the subsequent winter months.

Death of a Salesman, Topdog/Underdog and Mike Birbiglia:The Old Man and the Pool also closed on Jan. 15, after completing their limited runs. All three shows hit their highest grosses of the run, with the Pulitzer Prize-winning shows, Death of a Salesman, starring Wendell Pierce, bringing in $914,407 and Topdog/Underdog, starring Corey Hawkins and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, bringing in $572,922, after contending with low attendance numbers throughout its run. 

These closures were preceded by Beetlejuice, Into the Woods, Almost Famous and 1776 the prior week. New shows will soon come in to take their place, as the industry prepares for its big spring season including Sweeney Todd, starring Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford, the Jessica Chastain-led A Doll’s House and Parade, starring Ben Platt.