“Frozen” shatters box-office record at the St. James Theatre

“Frozen” the musical smashed the house record for weekly ticket sales at the St. James Theatre in New York, Disney Theatrical Productions announced Monday, beating the mark formerly held by “The Producers.”

Disney’s latest bet on Broadway, which officially opened March 22, grossed more than $2.2 million in its first eight shows. That broke a record held for 14 years by “The Producers,” which at its peak grossed $1.6 million in eight performances.

The all-time Broadway record for the most money made on Broadway in a single week is held by “Hamilton.” That production grossed $3.3 million at Richard Rodgers Theatre across eight performances in November 2016. Prior to that, “Wicked” held the record with $3.2 million.

These records can be like comparing apples to oranges when a house like the Richard Rodgers has more than 1,300 seats, while the St. James has more than 1,700. Regardless of theater size, any show that can gross more than $1 million a week earns a badge of box-office honor.

“Frozen” is based on Disney’s 2013 blockbuster film, which won the Oscar for best animated feature and another for best original song by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, who also wrote the music for the show at the St. James.

The musical had its preBroadway debut in Denver last fall.

The book is by “Frozen” screenwriter Jennifer Lee, and the production is directed by Shakespearean heavy-hitter Michael Grandage. Caissie Levy and Patti Murin star as royal sisters Elsa and Anna.