Lincoln Center Theater’s Tony Award-winning revival of Ragtime grossed $1.9 million for the week ending August 2, 2026, breaking its own all-time weekly record at the Vivian Beaumont Theater for the third consecutive week. The production, which has been extended three times by popular demand, is now the highest-grossing show in Lincoln Center Theater’s history on a per-week basis, with its final performance scheduled for August 16.
Key Takeaways
- Ragtime grossed $1.9 million for the week ending August 2, setting a new all-time record for any Lincoln Center Theater production for the third consecutive week.
- The revival carried Broadway’s highest average ticket price that week at $224 per seat, surpassing Hamilton, and played to 100% capacity with 8,424 patrons.
- Cats: The Jellicle Ball also hit a new weekly high of $1.41 million ahead of its August 8 closing, with Atlantic Records announcing plans for a cast album.
- Broadway’s 29 running productions collectively grossed $33.89 million, a 12.7% increase over the same week last season despite one fewer show.
- Hamilton led all productions at $2.36 million, followed by Death of a Salesman ($2.22 million) and The Lion King ($2.16 million).
Scarcity Pricing Drives Ragtime to Record Territory
The economics behind Ragtime’s record streak are tied directly to its approaching final curtain. The revival, which opened on October 16, 2025, has been extended three separate times since its original closing date, each time generating a fresh wave of ticket demand. As the August 16 end date holds firm, audiences have been willing to pay a premium to see the production before it closes. Ragtime’s average ticket price of $224 made it Broadway’s most expensive show for the week, edging ahead of Hamilton’s typical position at the top of the pricing chart.
The production played to a full house all week, filling all 8,424 available seats across its performance schedule. That combination of maximum capacity and elevated pricing produced the $1.9 million figure, which surpassed the previous week’s record of $1.625 million. Lincoln Center Theater confirmed that the revival won four Tony Awards in June 2026, including Best Revival of a Musical, with leading performers Joshua Henry and Caissie Levy also receiving acting honors at the ceremony.
Ragtime follows three fictional families navigating race, immigration, and wealth in early 20th-century America. The musical features a score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens and a book by Terrence McNally, all three of whom won Tony Awards for the original 1998 production. The current revival is directed by Lincoln Center Theater Artistic Director Lear deBessonet and also stars Brandon Uranowitz, Nichelle Lewis, and Nicholas Barron.
Cats: The Jellicle Ball Rides a Closing Surge to Its Own Record
Ragtime was not the only production benefiting from the urgency of an approaching final performance. Cats: The Jellicle Ball, the reimagined ballroom-culture revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical, grossed $1.41 million for the week, its highest figure since opening at the Broadhurst Theatre. The production set a second consecutive weekly record and cracked Broadway’s top 10 grossing shows for the first time in its run.
The box office surge at Cats: The Jellicle Ball has been driven almost entirely by rising ticket prices rather than increased attendance. The show has consistently played above 100% capacity throughout its run, but the average ticket price jumped to nearly $150 per seat this past week. That figure represents a 50% increase from the $100 average just weeks before the early closure was announced. The production gives its final Broadway performance on August 8.
Following public demand, Atlantic Records announced that the cast will record an album of the reimagined production. The recording will preserve the ballroom-infused arrangements that distinguished this revival from previous stagings of the show.
Broadway’s Overall Market Stays Strong Despite Seasonal Dip
The broader Broadway market experienced a slight pullback during the week. Data published by The Broadway League, the industry’s official trade association and statistical authority, showed cumulative grosses of $33,889,856 across 29 running productions, a 2.8% decrease from the prior week. Attendance dropped 3.4% to 263,897, though capacity held at 93.8%. Part of the decline reflects the loss of one production from the roster: Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, starring Taraji P. Henson and Cedric the Entertainer, played its final performance on July 26.
The week-over-week dip, however, masks a strong year-over-year picture. Compared to the same week during the 2025-2026 season, Broadway grosses are up 12.7%, attendance has risen 11.4%, and capacity has increased 2.9%. The average ticket price across all 29 productions stood at $128.42.
Fourteen of the 29 running shows crossed the $1 million threshold for the week, a sign of broad commercial health across the district. The list includes Hamilton ($2.36 million), Death of a Salesman ($2.22 million), The Lion King ($2.16 million), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Ragtime, MJ The Musical, The Lost Boys, Wicked, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Aladdin, Schmigadoon!, The Outsiders, Oh, Mary!, and Moulin Rouge! The Musical.
The Scarcity Effect and What Comes Next
The simultaneous record-breaking by Ragtime and Cats: The Jellicle Ball illustrates a well-documented pattern in the Broadway marketplace: announced closings create urgency, urgency drives ticket prices higher, and higher prices generate record grosses in a show’s final weeks. The dynamic rewards productions that have built a loyal audience and a strong critical reputation over the course of their runs.
With Cats: The Jellicle Ball closing August 8, Death of a Salesman closing August 9, and Ragtime closing August 16, Broadway will lose three significant productions in rapid succession. The departures will open theatre space for the fall season, which is expected to bring a wave of new openings including the original musical Galileo, the musical adaptation Wanted, and Jamie Lloyd’s acclaimed production of Evita.
For Lincoln Center Theater, Ragtime’s run has been a commercial and critical validation. The production transformed the Vivian Beaumont from a venue associated with prestige programming into one capable of generating some of Broadway’s highest weekly grosses, a shift that may influence how Lincoln Center programs its main stage in future seasons.
FAQs
When Does Ragtime Close on Broadway?
The Lincoln Center Theater revival of Ragtime plays its final Broadway performance on August 16, 2026, at the Vivian Beaumont Theater. The limited engagement has been extended three times since its original closing date. The production opened on October 16, 2025, and won four Tony Awards in June 2026, including Best Revival of a Musical.
How Much Did Broadway Gross for the Week Ending August 2, 2026?
Broadway’s 29 running productions collectively grossed $33,889,856 for the week ending August 2, 2026. That figure represents a 2.8% decrease from the prior week but a 12.7% increase over the same week during the 2025-2026 season. Fourteen shows crossed the $1 million mark individually.
Will Cats: The Jellicle Ball Release a Cast Album?
Atlantic Records has announced plans to record a cast album of the Cats: The Jellicle Ball Broadway production. The announcement came following public demand after the reimagined revival’s early closure was confirmed. The show plays its final Broadway performance on August 8, 2026, at the Broadhurst Theatre.
