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The Associated Press

In sluggish year on Broadway, 'Lion King' beat 'Hamilton'

The Lion King
For the third year in a row, "The Lion King" was the highest-grossing show of 2015.
David Goldman | AP 2010

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Broadway ended 2015 with a bang, generating the best-attended and highest-grossing week in history. But box office receipts and overall attendance for 2015 dipped from the previous year.

According to Broadway League statistics released Monday, the total gross was $1.354 billion for 2015, and total attendance was 12.98 million. That's a decline from last year's $1.362 billion and 13.13 million in attendance.

In most recent years, both numbers have shown increases.

Last week, 20 shows among the 38 playing grossed more than $1 million, with four grossing more than $2 million ("Aladdin," ''The Book of Mormon," "The Lion King" and "Wicked"). New records were made at several Broadway theaters, including the New Amsterdam Theatre, where "Aladdin" made $2,398,110 for nine shows.

While new shows like "Hamilton" got much of the attention last year, it was an old favorite that actually won the title of highest-grossing show of 2015 — "The Lion King." It was the third year in a row that the Disney show has won the crown.