Record-Breaking Year at The Croswell Opera House

The Croswell Opera House in Adrian broke several box office records in 2018.

According to numbers recently released by the theater, a total of 31,587 tickets were sold for Croswell events in 2018, an increase of 26 percent over the previous year and the theater’s largest annual total on record.

Two of the year’s shows, “Mamma Mia!” and “The Wizard of Oz,” are now the theater’s two highest-attended shows of all time, having brought in 6,583 and 6,149 admissions respectively. The previous record was held by a 1997 production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

The 31,587 tickets do not include people who attended non-ticketed events such as play readings, one-night cabarets, and the theater’s “Croswell Conversations” series. That series, which started in 2018, included talks by author Drew Philp, casting director Ryan Bernard Tymensky, “Hamilton” wardrobe supervisor Heather Yerrick, Broadway scenic designer Tobin Ost, and performers Cassie Okenka and Michael Kirk Lane.

“This was an amazing year, and we’re glad so many people shared it with us,” Croswell artistic director Jere Righter said. “We’re also very grateful to everyone who made it possible, including our audiences, our generous donors, and of course many, many volunteers.”

“We’re bringing people to this community who, in many cases, have never been here before,” said Erik Gable, the Croswell’s director of marketing and audience development. “While they’re here, they’re also eating in local restaurants and seeing the other things that our city has to offer.”

In a survey the Croswell conducted in October, 71 percent of patrons reported eating at nearby restaurants either before or after attending a show.

“Downtown Adrian is at the beginning of a renaissance, and we’re excited to be part of it,” Gable said.

Two of the year’s shows, “Mamma Mia!” and “The Wizard of Oz,” are now the theater’s two highest-attended shows of all time, having brought in 6,583 and 6,149 admissions respectively. The previous record was held by a 1997 production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

About 3,500 people purchased a Croswell ticket for the first time in 2018. Just over half of all ticket buyers — 51 percent — came from outside of Lenawee County.

The Croswell, which is the oldest theater in Michigan, first opened its doors in March 1866. More information is available at croswell.org.

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