There are dozens of well-known theater venues in New York City, but only 41 meet the criteria of a Broadway theater (which includes having at least 500 seats). Many of these venues have experienced all-time highs in weekly grosses during the last few years, highlighting the industry’s post-pandemic recovery. Ticket sales for the 2024-25 Broadway season (May 20, 2024, to May 25, 2025) exceeded $1.89 billion, making it the highest-grossing season in recorded history.
With that in mind, here’s a look at the weekly house records for some of Broadway’s most iconic theaters.
Chicago (Ambassador Theatre)
The 1996 revival of Chicago, the second-longest running show in Broadway history with more than 11,500 performances, set the house record for the 1,125-seat Ambassador Theatre during the holiday season in 2023. The 1997 Tony winner for Best Revival of a Musical generated $1.45 million through nine performances for the week ending December 31. It nearly matched that record for the week ending February 15, 2026, bringing in $1.41 million in just eight performances.
Owned and operated by The Shubert Organization, the Ambassador is a two-level theater known for its curved entrance and auditorium interior, which is a designated landmark. It opened in 1921 and has hosted the Chicago revival since its 2003 transfer from the Shubert Theatre. Chicago surpassed Cats as the second-longest running Broadway show in November 2014. But as of February 2026, it was still more than 2,400 performances behind The Phantom of the Opera.
Maybe Happy Ending (Belasco Theatre)
Also owned by The Shubert Organization, the Belasco Theatre is a 1,018-seat venue that opened in 1907. Named for the producer and playwright who owned and operated the venue until his death in 1931, the Belasco has hosted shows like Oh! Calcutta! (1971), The Rocky Horror Show (1975), As You Like It (1986), and American Buffalo (2008). Its current tenant, Maybe Happy Ending, set the house record with $1.57 million in ticket sales for eight performances in the week ending August 31, 2025.
Starring Darren Criss and Helen J. Shen, Maybe Happy Ending is a love story involving obsolete South Korean helper robots Oliver and Claire. It won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.
Othello (Ethel Barrymore Theatre)
The 1,096-seat Ethel Barrymore Theatre, another Shubert Organization venue, has been in operation since 1928. It is known for its auditorium interior and symmetrically arranged façade, both of which are designated landmarks. It has hosted productions such as August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (1988), A Streetcar Named Desire (1992), and The Inheritance (2019).
Othello, a limited run Shakespeare play starring Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, broke the house record multiple times. The Band’s Visit held the prior weekly house record, at $1.6 million through nine performances for the week ending December 31, 2017. Othello made $2.64 million through its first seven previews, eventually settling on a record $3.8 million through eight performances for the week ending June 8, 2025, with an average ticket price of $456.36.
Overall, Othello grossed more than $46 million through 89 performances and 30 previews.
Come From Away (Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre)
Come From Away, a musical detailing how a small Newfoundland community welcomed an international community of nearly 7,000 strangers stranded after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack in New York City, holds the house record at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. The seven-time Tony nominee made $1.83 million through nine performances for the week ending December 31, 2017. It also set the house record for average gross per show, with $1.53 million in eight performances for the week ending November 26, 2017.
Also owned by The Shubert Organization, the 1,079-seat Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, formerly known as the Plymouth Theatre, has hosted A Chorus Line (2006), Glengarry Glen Ross (2012), and The Notebook (2024).
Buena Vista Social Club, a five-time Tony winner, has been playing at the theater since February 2025.
Wicked (Gershwin Theatre)
Wicked, a three-time Tony winner and the third-longest running Broadway show with more than 8,600 performances, set the Gershwin Theatre house record with $5 million through nine performances for the week ending December 29, 2024. The musical has been playing at the Gershwin since its October 2003 opening. Ticket sales during its record-setting week were boosted by the release of the Ariana Grande- and Cynthia Erivo-led film, which opened the month prior and set several box office records.
Owned and operated by the Nederlander Organization, the Gershwin is Broadway’s largest theater, with 1,933 seats. Before Wicked, it hosted Oklahoma! (2002), Peter Pan (1999), and Fiddler on the Roof (1990).
Purpose (Hayes Theatre)
The Hayes Theatre is Broadway’s smallest venue, with just 597 seats. Purpose, a family drama from Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, set the house record in the week ending August 31, 2025, earning $1 million through eight performances. Purpose closed a few days later after earning $15.2 million through 192 performances and 22 previews. It won the Tony Award for Best Play.