Tourists crowd Broadway

Out-of-towners are a big presence on Broadway -- and getting bigger.

Tourists, both domestic and foreign, accounted for some 65% of the 12.3 million tickets sold for Broadway shows during the 2006-07 season, according to figures released this week by the League of American Theatres and Producers. It was the largest percentage in the last 20 years, the League said.

International tourists, perhaps riding the wave of the weakening American dollar, made up 16% of audiences, buying 1.9 million tickets, more than they did in seasons before the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Broadway audiences are becoming more diverse too. Nonwhite theatergoers made up 26% of admissions during the 2006-07 season, buying some 3.18 million tickets. That’s a 56% jump from five years ago, the league said.