Bold claim: Whitney Leavitt’s stint as Roxie Hart is driving a box-office surge for Chicago, proving celebrity stunt-casting still moves crowds. And this is the part most people miss: a single star can lift weekly grosses into territory not seen since the holidays, even for a show as established as Broadway’s longest-running American musical.
Here’s a clearer, beginner-friendly rewrite of the original: Chicago, Broadway’s enduring revival at the Ambassador Theatre, continues to benefit from high-profile guest appearances. Most recently, Whitney Leavitt—well known from Mormon Wives and a DWTS alum—tused the spotlight as Roxie Hart starting February 2, with performances running through March 15. The impact is measurable: last week’s gross reached $1,410,093, its strongest figure since the 2023 December holiday period.
Historically, Chicago has relied on cross-over celebrities to refresh interest and attract new audiences. Previous figures include Ariana Madix, Pamela Anderson, Brandy, Christie Brinkley, and NeNe Leakes, among others. Leavitt’s performance appears to be a particularly effective draw, contributing to a weekly gross that roughly doubles the typical non-holiday week this year.
Context matters: the Presidents Day holiday likely drew extra visitors, and Broadway Week offered promotions that could inflate attendance. Yet Chicago also posted its best numbers this year even when holidays aren’t in play. The show played to an audience of 8,565, reaching about 99% capacity, underscoring strong demand despite a crowded market.
The holiday bump wasn’t isolated: other productions also reported gains. Aladdin, Hamilton, and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child added more than $300,000 in gross; The Great Gatsby, The Lion King, and Wicked each rose by over $400,000. Among the week’s top earners were Harry Potter and the Cursed Child ($2,682,872), Hamilton ($2,198,060), Wicked ($2,024,329), The Lion King ($1,918,748), and Chess ($1,588,042).
In a show’s final weeks, Marjorie Prime posted a modest uptick to $405,194 on 95% capacity, signaling continued interest in curated experiences. Overall, the 27 productions grossed $33,578,362 for the week ending February 15, marking an 11.3% week-over-week increase and a 19% year-over-year rise. Attendance stood at 246,718, roughly flat with the prior week and last year, while the average ticket price climbed to $136.10, about $18.59 higher than the previous week.
A note on production schedules: Stranger Things: The First Shadow did not run regular public performances during the week because filming was underway for an upcoming release.
Season-to-date, Broadway’s 38th week of 2025–26 shows gross receipts of $1,394,123,670, up about 8% from the same point last season, with total attendance at 10,416,208, up 3%. All box-office figures are provided by The Broadway League. For full details, visit the League’s official box-office pages.
