Arts organization achieves record-breaking 35th anniversary season

Art

Jul 15

With more than 157,000 attendees throughout the 2023-2024 season, Broadway Grand Rapids has announced record-breaking attendance and ticket sales for its 35th year.

Touring Broadway shows played 72 performances at DeVos Performance Hall this past season including "MJ The Musical," "Funny Girl," "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical," "Disney's Aladdin," "Les Misérables," "To Kill A Mockingbird," and three weeks of "Wicked," which brought more than 54,000 patrons to downtown Grand Rapids.

The estimated local economic impact for Grand Rapids is $42,054,420. This figure includes local labor, salaries, advertising, theater operations, and ancillary expenditures of the ticket purchasers at local establishments such as restaurants, hotels, parking, and retail outlets. Estimates are calculated using the research from the Economic Impact Study commissioned by The Broadway League.

"The impact of Touring Broadway is significant," said Meghan Distel, President and CEO, Broadway Grand Rapids. "It serves as an economic engine, supporting local businesses, creating jobs, and generating revenue that enriches cities large and small. Beyond financial benefits, it contributes to cultural enrichment and vitality in Grand Rapids."

As part of its 35th anniversary celebrations, Broadway Grand Rapids launched a community initiative spotlighting local organizations and small businesses. Collaborations included partnerships with AYA Youth Collective, YWCA West Central Michigan, Make-A-Wish Michigan, New City Kids: Grand Rapids, Hispanic Center of Western Michigan, Treetops Collective, and Amplify GR.

Broadway Grand Rapids also hosted networking events with groups like Outpro and the Latina Network of West Michigan. Celebrating alongside Broadway's milestone were small businesses including Soldadera Coffee, The Mitten Brewing Co., The Cakabakery, The Candied Yam, Ethos Day Spa, and Francis Jaye.

"Broadway Grand Rapids has thrived over the years thanks to amazing community support," Distel said. "In marking our 35th anniversary, our goal was to celebrate not only with an exceptional lineup of performances but also by engaging with the community. We wanted to amplify the joy of Broadway and highlight some of the local organizations and businesses that make our community a wonderful place to live and work."

Season ticket packages for the 2024-2025 Broadway Grand Rapids season are available through July 22, 2024. Individual tickets for all shows will be available at a later date. The 2024–2025 Season includes "Beetlejuice," October 8-13, 2024; "Mamma Mia!," November 26 – December 1, 2024; "Moulin Rouge! The Musical," January 21 – February 2, 2025; "Clue," March 4 – 9, 2025; "A Beautiful Noise," April 1 – 6, 2025; "Pretty Woman," April 29 – May 4, 2025; and "Hamilton," July 22 – August 3, 2025.

For more information, visit https://broadwaygrandrapids.com/.