NEW YORK – Broadway's highest grossing show in 2013 goes to a regal but mature performer — "The Lion King," now in its 16th year. And another veteran turned heads when "Wicked" recorded Broadway's highest single-week gross ever.
The old-timers are going just fine, end-of-year-data from the Broadway League released Monday showed. The 10-year-old "Wicked" earned a staggering $3.2 million over nine performances for the week ending Sunday, the first time a show has ever crossed the $3 million mark in a single week.
Another pro, Elton John and Tim Rice's "The Lion King," ruled all other shows during the entire calendar year, ending with nearly $97 million, despite the fact that there are five bigger theaters on Broadway. For good measure, the show pulled in $2.8 million over nine performances last week, a theater record.
Several other shows — including current Tony winner "Kinky Boots," the 2011 Tony winner "The Book of Mormon," the new acrobatic revival of "Pippin," the sizzling "Betrayal" and the veteran "Chicago" — all finished 2013 with box office records.
First lady lends support to Robin Roberts
Michelle Obama is leading an outpouring of support for Robin Roberts after the "Good Morning America" news anchor's first public acknowledgment of her 10-year, same-sex relationship with massage therapist Amber Laign. "I am so happy for you and Amber! You continue to make us all proud, the first lady wrote on Twitter." In a Facebook post Sunday, Roberts thanked her "longtime girlfriend" for providing encouragement during Roberts' battle with myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare blood and bone marrow disease. Many celebs also took to Twitter to send Roberts messages, including Ellen DeGeneres, who tweeted, "Good morning, America! Congratulations."
silent welcome: Here comes 2014! Three! … Two! … Mum. While hundreds of thousands of revelers cheer, shout and yell in the new year in Times Square, hundreds of New Yorkers will gather not far away to pass the waning hours of 2013 without a word. They'll be quietly observing a 25-year tradition at Jivamukti Yoga, which opens its doors to people who like to spend New Year's Eve reflecting, meditating, crafting resolutions, maybe doing a headstand, all in "Auld Lang" silence. It's a year-end bash with no pressure to mingle, no need to bring anything, no drunken regrets, and no small talk — or big talk, either. "The only thing that we ask," Jivamukti Yoga co-founder Sharon Gannon says, "is that you shut up."
Associated Press
