Denver Ranks in the Top Ten Theater Cities in the United States

Denver's theater scene is growing, with new companies offering everything from genre plays to experimental works. The Denver Center for the Performing Arts has been offering its own productions through the theater company and also showcasing touring shows, including the Broadway production of Disney's Frozen; groups like Curious and Buntport continue to produce challenging fare.

All of that collective effort is paying off.

According to Vivid Seats, which describes itself as "the largest independent online ticket marketplace," the Mile High City ranks as the eighth-best theater city in the country. The rankings are based on both the number of live productions and the cost of theater seats.

It's no surprise that New York, Chicago and Los Angeles would take the top slots in any national theater ranking. What's more surprising is that Denver has beaten out such cities as Minneapolis, Houston, Seattle and San Francisco, which are all known for their robust arts scenes, and none of which made the top ten list.

What's also surprising is that ticket prices in Denver are higher than they are in Las Vegas, San Diego, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., all cities whose theater scenes ranked higher than ours.

The top ten theater cities in the United States and their average ticket prices, according to Vivid Seats, are:

1. New York, $332
2. Chicago, $184
3. Los Angeles, $199
4. Las Vegas, $117
5. Washington, D.C. $146
6. San Diego, $112
7. Philadelphia, $131
8. Denver, $156
9. St. Louis, $64
10. Kansas City, Mo., $101