BroadwayRadio: Broadway Grosses Report — March 4, 2026; ‘Just in Time’ Casting Changes

Host: Matt Tamanini
Date: March 4, 2026
Focus: Weekly Broadway box office numbers and major casting updates, with analysis of the ongoing impact of winter weather and show transitions.

Main Theme

This episode delivers an in-depth look at Broadway's weekly financial performance during the 40th week of the 2025-2026 season, with an emphasis on the influence of a recent winter storm and notable casting changes in "Just In Time." Host Matt Tamanini offers data-driven insight into attendance, grosses, and trending productions, while also previewing upcoming podcast content.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Broadway Box Office Report (00:31–04:58)

• Winter Storm Impact

  • The previous week’s box office was significantly affected by a winter storm that blanketed the Tri-State area. While only a handful of shows closed, many patrons canceled or rescheduled plans, impacting both attendance and revenue.

    “Despite the fact that only a handful of shows were actually closed due to the winter storm… the impacts of that storm did play a major part in Broadway attendance and… the box office.” (00:31)

• By the Numbers

  • 27 shows played on Broadway last week.

    • Grosses dropped by 17% (over $5.5 million) to $26,036,589.
    • Attendance down by 8% (about 20,500 people) to 221,567.
    • Average ticket price declined by nearly $13 (10%) to $117.51.

  • Comparisons:

    • Week ending March 2, 2025 vs. March 1, 2026:
      • Grosses down 4%, attendance down 3%, average ticket price down 1%.
    • Matt notes this type of dip is “par for the course” due to seasonal weather disruptions.

  • Quote:

    “So overall, essentially flat from last year, but down significantly from the previous week despite that fact.” (01:43)

2. Top Grossing Shows & Noteworthy Performances (01:55–04:58)

• Top Five Highest Grosses

  1. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child — $2.16M (despite just 7 performances, down $411k from the previous week).

     “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child did make over $2 million… pretty impressive considering that they did not get their eighth performance in.” (01:57)

  2. Hamilton — $1.76M
  3. Just In Time — $1.48M
  4. The Lion King — $1.33M
  5. Wicked — $1.3M

• Other Highlights

  • Hadestown: $1.3M with a $160k increase, boosted by the final week of the principal cast led by Jack Wolfe as Orpheus.
    • Upcoming: Matt previews a “Hadestown principal cast draft” episode with expert Ashley Hufford.
  • Stranger Things: The First Shadow: $1.28M
  • Chicago: $1.2M (Whitney Levitt’s performance praised)
  • Chess: $1.17M, saw a major jump due to Lea Michele’s return.
  • Every Brilliant Thing: Nearly $1M with an expanded preview week.

• Memorable Moment:

  “Chess… actually saw the biggest jump on Broadway last week… because Lea Michele came back from her week long vacation.” (04:11)

• Season-to-Date Figures

  • Grosses: $1,451,715,100 (up 7% YoY)
  • Attendance: 10,879,802 (up 3% YoY)

3. Upcoming & Opening Shows (04:58–05:55)

• Every Brilliant Thing opens next week.
• March will see more performances begin and new shows open, expected to uplift the grosses.

  “As we move forward into March, we’re going to start seeing more new Broadway shows begin performances. Things start to open.” (05:21)

4. Casting Changes for ‘Just In Time’ (05:56–07:00)

• Major New Cast Announcements:

  • Debbie Gravitte (Tony & Grammy winner) replacing Michelle Pa as Paulie (begins April 1).
  • Carrie St. Louis succeeding Sadie Dickerson as Sandra D. (begins April 21).
  • Matthew Morrison also starts April 1 (with Debbie Gravitte).
  • Jeremy Jordan joins April 21 (with Carrie St. Louis).

• Host’s Enthusiasm:

  “Tony Award and Grammy Award winner Debbie Graven, who will replace Michelle Pa as Paulie. And then Carrie St. Louis… will succeed Sadie Dickerson… Debbie will begin performances on April 1st. Carrie will begin performances on April 21st.” (06:08)

• Matt wonders if Jeremy Jordan and Carrie St. Louis overlapped on Rock of Ages, teasing fun backstage trivia.

5. Podcast Announcements & Teasers (07:01–08:22)

• Upcoming Episodes:

  • Hadestown principal cast draft with Ashley Hufford
  • Review of the Hell’s Kitchen national tour
  • Special 10th-anniversary episode on Sunday, March 8, recorded with James Marino.

• Quote:

  “Coming up on Sunday… James Marino and I will be recording an episode… which will mark 10 years to the day since we recorded our first episode of Today on Broadway.” (07:43)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Snow’s Impact:
  “Snow that was built up making it hard for people to get into town, and then people who might have otherwise wanted to very well might have called off their plans or rescheduled.” (01:33)

• On Hadestown’s Cast:
  “Hadestown, which saw a very healthy $160,000 bump… final week of the principal cast that was led by Jack Wolfe as Orpheus. As I mentioned, I’m going to have an incredibly in depth conversation with Hadestown expert Ashley Hufford…” (03:33)

• Show Milestones:
  “So far this season, Broadway has grossed $1.45 billion—7% over the first 40 weeks of the previous season.” (04:51)

• End of Episode:
  “Thank you for supporting Broadway Radio… If you want more, head over to patreon.com/broadwayradio…” (08:22)

Important Timestamps

• Broadway Grosses Overview: 00:31–01:55
• Top Grossing Shows/Analysis: 01:55–04:58
• Season-to-Date Data & Trends: 04:45–05:21
• Upcoming Shows & March Preview: 05:21–05:55
• Just In Time Cast Changes: 05:56–07:00
• Podcast Announcements: 07:01–08:22

Summary

This episode balanced hard numbers, thoughtful analysis, and Broadway fandom, giving listeners a sense of industry trends, new show launches, and behind-the-scenes casting moves—even during a snowy, slower week. With upcoming episodes teased and a celebratory milestone for the Today on Broadway podcast franchise, fans were prompted to stay tuned for much more both onstage and in podcast form.