WICKED SMASHES RECORDS IN GRAND RAPIDS
Grand Rapids embraced the debut engagement of the smash hit WICKED with record-breaking enthusiasm. WICKED delighted theatergoers of all ages and played 3 weeks, a total of 24 performances with attendance of over 55,000 patrons. With more than $4.5 million in total ticket sales for the combined performances of all three weeks, WICKED breaks the record in each week of the engagement for gross sales of a Broadway production in Grand Rapids.
The estimated local economic impact of WICKED for the Grand Rapids area is over $14,715,000*. This figure includes local labor/salaries, advertising, rentals, sales, and taxes- as well as the local ancillary spending of the ticket purchasers at restaurants, hotels and stores.
The three-week engagement drew 56% of ticket purchasers from outside of Kent County. Tickets were purchased in all but 2 counties in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan and in states all over the Midwest.
“Broadway Grand Rapids strives to bring the best from Broadway to West Michigan,” said Mike Lloyd, Executive Director of Broadway Grand Rapids. “WICKED more than met that goal. It was exhilarating to see the smiles, hear the stories of families and friends coming together to see this show and see the magic of musical theater touch so many lives.”
The 2017-18 Broadway Grand Rapids series continues with Les Misérables November 21-26, Beautiful-The Carol King Musical February 13-18, The Bodyguard March 6-11 and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I June 5-10. For tickets and more information visit www.BroadwayGrandRapids.com.
*Estimates calculated using the research from the Economic Impact Study commissioned by The Broadway League