When the curtains closed Sunday on the final performance of “Wicked,” the longest-running Broadway hit in Chicago’s history took with it record revenues and left the show’s local fans feeling a little bereft.

Not so Chicago’s theater community, which is eager to build upon the excitement that “Wicked’s” witches and wizards brought to the Windy City even in the midst of a recession.

“Chicago has stolen the scene as a vibrant cultural city and theater town that can support well-known productions, as well as world premieres of original new works,” said Eileen LaCario, vice president of Broadway in Chicago.

Over its three-and-a-half year run at the Ford Center for Performing Arts Oriental Theatre, “Wicked” generated more than $206 million in ticket sales, according to Broadway in Chicago, the managing organization of the Oriental, Bank of America and Cadillac Palace Theatres. More than 2.9 million patrons attended 1,500 shows and as a result, Broadway in Chicago is now the fifth most popular tourist attraction in the city.

“There’s already ‘Jersey Boys’. It’s been a huge hit,” said Ben Theim, director of member services at the League of Chicago Theatres, a promotion and advocacy group.

“As far as tours, what’s going to be selling out consistently is ‘Jersey Boys’,” agreed Melissa Bernardo, a theater critic, Tony award voter and member of the New York Drama Critics Circle.

Bernardo said she believes that solid performances of tried-and-true family titles, such as “West Side Story,” which opens this March in New York, will be successful in future months. These shows do not require big stars to make money, she added.

“It’s not like there’s a void,” Theim said. “Broadway in Chicago is going to do a good job of bringing shows to town and we won’t be surprised to see another long-running show come here and take up a similar role that ‘Wicked’ had.”

Broadway in Chicago will run several of the nation’s top-grossing performances in 2009, including “Jersey Boys,” “Xanadu,” “Spamalot” (Jan. 20-Feb. 1), “Chicago” (Feb. 25-March 8), “Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles” (March 3-8), “A Bronx Tale” (March 10-22), “Mary Poppins” (opens March 11), “Rent” (March 31-April 12), “A Chorus Line” (April 14-May 3), “Legally Blonde” (May 12-31), “Fiddler on the Roof” (June 10-28), “Spring Awakening” (Aug. 4-16) and “The Addams Family” (Nov. 13-Jan. 10, 2010).

“We are not concerned in any way,” Theim said. But it remains to be seen whether the long list of upcoming shows can top the national success of “Wicked.”

In 2008 ticket sales for “Wicked” grossed more than $75.6 million nationally, up almost $5.2 million or 7 percent from 2007, according to Variety. With cumulative revenue of nearly $5.7 million during the first four weeks of the year, “Wicked” remains the top-grossing Broadway show in the U.S.

Bernardo attributed the show’s success to its appeal to families. “Especially tapping into a market that hasn’t been tapped into before—which was young girls,” she said. “Once they got that fan base, it was like a gold mine.”

Once cultivated, the tween girl audience came back for repeat viewings, not only of “Wicked,” but of other shows, Bernardo explained.

More than 70 percent of “Wicked” theater patrons surveyed said they had plans to see another show in Chicago within a year, according to Broadway in Chicago.

At the Goodman Theatre, the largest not-for-profit theater in the city, sales are steady, subscriptions are up and ticket sales for the first four out of nine shows of the year are strong, said Goodman Theatre Executive Director Roche Schulfer, who also serves as Chairman of the League of Chicago Theatres.

Schulfer noted that over the holiday season, the Goodman reported record-breaking sales for “A Christmas Carol.” The theater also announced Jan. 21 that it will extend “Desire Under the Elms,” the centerpiece of the Goodman’s landmark theatrical event, “A Global Exploration: Eugene O’Neill in the 21st Century,” due to overwhelming demand for tickets.

“Chicago has a very sophisticated and loyal theater-going audience and certainly at this point whatever they are cutting back on, they feel the theater is still important to attend,” Schulfer said.

“I hope it’s the quality of our productions and the loyalty of our audiences that will keep them contributing when they can,” Schulfer continued. “Our economic conditions are something that affect everyone and hopefully this community that’s always been very supportive of the arts, and recognizes that arts are the fabric of our society, will continue to do that to the greatest extent possible.”

Single ticket sales are also strong at Chicago’s Lookingglass Theatre, according to Executive Director Rachel Kraft. “Our season opener was our 50th world premiere in our 20-year history and exceeded our sales goals,” she said. “This season we have more subscribers than any previous season and we’ll continue to sell smaller packages for another month.”

Not all theaters have been so fortunate. Due to low ticket sales, Madison Square Garden Entertainment announced on Jan. 20 the cancellation of a touring performance of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” originally scheduled for Feb. 11-15 at the Chicago Theatre.

To boost sales during economically tough times, many theaters are offering incentives. Broadway in Chicago celebrated the inauguration of President Barack Obama with the opportunity all day last Tuesday to purchase $44 tickets for select performances of shows like “Jersey Boys,” “Mary Poppins,” “Xanadu,” “Chicago” and “Rent.”

“We are focusing on group sales, pre-sales and enhancing the experience of our ticket buyers with additional amenities to engage them further and make them repeat customers,” Kraft said.

While she believes theater-goers are being cautious, Bernardo said she thinks the next few months will be the true test. According to Bernardo, New York will experience its busiest spring on Broadway since 1986, with many shows—featuring star performers and limited runs—set to open. Nationwide, she explained, people look to New York for what will be profitable in other cities. “If it makes money in New York, it will be good elsewhere.”

“With ‘Wicked’ closing, people shouldn’t take it as a bad sign,” Bernardo said. “I think it will be back. I think we’ll see it back sooner than we think.”

Regardless of economic climate, the arts are a vital part of any culture, Kraft said. “During the Great Depression, the arts did not disappear. As for theater, the universal art of storytelling will always exist. And especially in difficult times, people need community and coming together to watch a live performance celebrates the human need to connect with each other.”

by Hollis Templeton