History of Recoups

Last updated April 20, 2015.

Finding out whether or not a Broadway show recouped its initial investment is one of my favorite aspects of the industry.

To put it briefly, taking a show to Broadway requires a producer (or, usually, a group of producers) to generate funds from the help of investors—this amount of money is called an initial investment, or a capitalization. This amount of money is what’s necessary take a particular show from the day it’s first conceived to Opening Night on Broadway. That includes everything that goes into rehearsal, scenic design, lighting work, rehearsal and theatre space, salaries for performers and crew members, material rights—the list goes on.

When a production recoups its investment, that means it has repaid all of its investors. All the money that was required to propel the show to Broadway has been paid back, and the production earns profits thereafter. Some shows that don’t do so well at the box office might close at a loss. In a 2007 interview with Playbill.com, John Breglio—producer of the first Broadway revival of A Chorus Line—said that predicting whether or not a show will recoup is “a complete crapshoot.”

Below, check out three comprehensive spreadsheets:

1. Recent Broadway musicals, and whether or not they recouped;
2. Recent Broadway plays, and whether or not they recouped;
3. Shows currently running on Broadway that have yet to either recoup or set a closing date.

If there’s a show not on a list that you’d like to learn about, let us know through our Contact page!

Fun fact: according to The New York Times, only about 25% of Broadway shows turn a profit.

A Brief History of Broadway Recoups — Musicals

Show	Initial Investment	Opened	Closing	Did It Recoup?
After Midnight	$7 million	November 3, 2013	June 29, 2014	No, it closed at a loss after 19 previews and 272 performances.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical	$13 million	January 12, 2014	N/A	Yes, after about nine months.
Big Fish	$14 million	October 6, 2013	December 29, 2013	No, it closed at a loss after 34 previews and 98 performances.
Billy Elliot	$18 million	November 13, 2008	January 8, 2012	Yes, after about 14 months.
The Book of Mormon	$11.4 million	March 24, 2011	N/A	Yes, after about nine months.
The Bridges of Madison County	$8.5 million	February 20, 2014	May 18, 2014	No, it closed at a loss after 137 performances.
Bullets Over Broadway	$14 million	April 10, 2014	August 24, 2014	No, it closed at a loss after 33 previews and 156 performances.
Cabaret (2014 revival)	Unknown.	April 24, 2014	March 29, 2015	Undisclosed.
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (2013 revival)	$13 million	March 3, 2013	January 3, 2015	No, it closed at a loss after 41 previews and 770 performances.
Evita (2012 revival)	$11 million	April 5, 2012	January 26, 2013	No, it closed at a loss after 26 previews and 337 performances.
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder	$7.5 million	November 17, 2013	N/A	Yes, after 17 months.
Hair (2009 revival)	$5.76 million	March 31, 2009	June 27, 2010	Yes, after about five months.
Hands on a Hardbody	Undisclosed	March 21, 2013	April 13, 2013	Undisclosed, though it likely closed at a loss after 28 previews and 28 performances.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2014 revival)	$5 million	April 22, 2014	N/A	Yes, after only about 15 weeks.
Holler If Ya Hear Me	$8 million	June 19, 2014	July 20, 2014	No, it closed at a loss after 17 previews and 38 performances.
Honeymoon in Vegas	Unknown	January 15, 2015	April 5, 2015	No, it closed at a loss after 66 previews and 93 performances.
If/Then	$10 million	March 30, 2014	March 22, 2015	Undisclosed, though it likely closed at a loss.
Jersey Boys	$8 million	November 6, 2005	N/A	Yes, after about seven months.
Kinky Boots	$13.5 million	April 4, 2013	N/A	Yes, after about 30 weeks.
The Last Ship	$15 million	October 26, 2014	January 24, 2015	No, it closed at a loss after 29 previews and 105 regular performances.
Mamma Mia!	$10 million	October 18, 2001	September 5, 2015	Yes, after about 28 weeks.
Matilda the Musical	$16 million	April 11, 2013	N/A	Yes, after just over a year and a half.
Motown the Musical	$18 million	April 14, 2013	January 18, 2015	Yes, after just under a year and a half.
Next to Normal	$4 million	April 15, 2009	January 16, 2011	Yes, after about 11 months.
Newsies	$5 million	March 29, 2012	August 24, 2014	Yes, after about nine months.
On the Twentieth Century (2015 revival)	Unknown.	March 15, 2015	July 15, 2015	TBD.
Once	$5.5 million	March 18, 2012	January 4, 2015	Yes, after about 21 weeks.
The Phantom of the Opera	$8 million	January 26, 1988	N/A	Yes, after about 13 months.
Pippin (2013 revival)	$8.5 million	April 25, 2013	January 4, 2015	Yes, after about eight months.
Rock of Ages	$7.25 million	April 7, 2009	January 18, 2015	Yes, after about four years.
Rocky	$15 million	March 13, 2014	August 17, 2014	No, it closed at a loss after 28 previews and 188 performances.
Side Show (2014 revival)	$7.8 million	November 14, 2014	January 4, 2015	No, it closed at a loss after 77 performances.
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark	$75 million	June 14, 2011	January 4, 2014	No, it closed at a tremendous loss after 1,268 performances.
West Side Story (2009 revival)	$14 million	March 19, 2009	January 2, 2011	Yes, after about seven months.
Wicked	$14 million	October 30, 2003	N/A	Yes, after about 14 months.

A Brief History of Broadway Recoups — Plays

Show	Initial Investment	Opened	Closing	Did It Recoup?
All the Way	$3.9 million	March 6, 2014	June 29, 2014	Yes, after about three months.
The Audience	Unknown.	March 8, 2015	June 28, 2015	TBD.
The Country House	Unknown.	October 2, 2014	November 23, 2014	Undisclosed, though it likely closed at a loss, with poor reviews and sales.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time	$4.75 million	October 5, 2014	N/A	Yes, in just under four months.
A Delicate Balance	Unknown.	November 20, 2014	February 22, 2015	Undisclosed.
Disgraced	Unknown.	October 23, 2014	March 1, 2015	Undisclosed.
The Elephant Man	$3.1 million	December 7, 2014	February 22, 2015	Yes, after about six and a half weeks.
Fish in the Dark	Unknown, yet.	March 5, 2015	July 5, 2015	TBD.
The Glass Menagerie (2013 revival)	$2.6 million	September 26, 2013	February 23, 2014	Yes, after about four months.
The Heidi Chronicles (2015 revival)	Unknown.	March 19, 2015	August 9, 2015	TBD.
It’s Only a Play	$3.9 million	October 9, 2014	March 29, 2015	Yes, after about two months.
Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill	$2.6 million	April 13, 2014	October 5, 2014	Yes, after about two months.
Living on Love	Unknown.	April 20, 2015	August 2, 2015	TBD.
Love Letters (2014 revival)	Unknown.	September 18, 2014	December 14, 2014	No, it closed at a loss.
Of Mice and Men (2014 revival)	$3.8 million	April 16, 2014	July 27, 2014	Yes, after about three months.
A Raisin in the Sun (2014 revival)	$4.25 million	April 3, 2014	June 15, 2014	Yes, after about two months.
The Real Thing	Unknown.	October 30, 2014	January 4, 2015	Undisclosed.
The River	$3.2 million	November 16, 2014	February 8, 2015	Yes, after about seven weeks.
Skylight	Unknown.	April 2, 2015	June 21, 2015	TBD.
This Is Our Youth (2014 revival)	Unknown.	September 11, 2014	January 4, 2014	Undisclosed.
Twelfth Night and Richard III	$3.1 million	November 10, 2013	February 16, 2014	Yes, after about three months.
Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two	Unknown.	April 9, 2015	July 5, 2015	TBD.
You Can’t Take It With You (2014 revival)	Unknown.	September 28, 2014	February 22, 2015	Undisclosed.

Currently Running Open-Ended Broadway Productions

Show	Opened
Aladdin	March 20, 2014
An American in Paris	April 12, 2015
Finding Neverland	April 15, 2015
Fun Home	April 19, 2015
Gigi (2015 revival)	April 8, 2015
Hand to God	April 7, 2015
It Shoulda Been You	April 14, 2015
The King and I (2015 revival)	April 16, 2015
Les Misérables (2014 revival)	March 23, 2014
On the Town (2014 revival)	October 16, 2014