Brodway Remains Buoyant

New York Times reports on figures released recently by the Broadway League about figures for the grosses for the 2008-9 Broadway theatre season.

Broadway musicals and plays made approximately $943.3 million during that period, which is a slight increase on the previous season, and just enough to set a new record for total grosses -- the previous high was set during the 2006-7 theatre season, which had total grosses of $938.5 million.

Last summer and fall, a few producers prepared for the recession by postponing or canceling planned Broadway shows, and a few others shuttered long-running shows such as "Hairspray" and "Spring Awakening." Some cited a lack of capital from investors; others expressed concern that potential audience members might stay away to save money.

But many other producers responded to the recession by offering steep discounts to plays and musicals, and by staging an unusually high number of appealing shows that drew positive reviews from critics.