"Marley," the bio-musical about reggae icon Bob Marley written and directed by Center Stage artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah, may not have generated universally upbeat reviews, but it had a totally positive impact on the box office.
The company reported Wednesday that the premiere of "Marley," which ran May 8 to June 14, is "the highest grossing single ticket show and the highest attended show in the 52-year history of ... Center Stage." Total attendance was 22,139.
Gross ticket sales were $784,874.54, which, the company said, is "nearly 50 percent more than the previous highest grossing single ticket show in Center Stage's history, the 2011 production of 'The Wiz.'"
"Marley," focusing on the 1970s assassination attempt on Marley and his subsequent years in exile in London, features Marley's own music throughout.
The press release quoted Kwei-Armah as saying that "almost every single performance sold out." He added "reading letters from patrons telling me 'Marley' was a healing experience for them is what makes me proudest of this production."