Broadway has never sold more tickets. The theater district posted its highest-grossing season on record, industry figures show, lifted by a wave of star-driven plays, lavish musicals, and a rebound in tourism that filled houses eight times a week.

Producers credit a mix of bankable names and ambitious new work. The fictional musical Harbor Lights became the season's surprise smash, selling out months in advance and spawning a national tour. Even long-running shows saw attendance climb.

The boom masks persistent worries about rising production costs and ticket prices that put a night on Broadway out of reach for many. But for an industry that spent years fighting to recover, the record season is a resounding statement that the lights of Times Square still draw the world.