The Met celebrated the 50th anniversary of its enormous Lincoln Center home with a starry gala this month. But as its 2016-17 season ended, the challenge of filling a theater that holds 4,000 came into stark relief: The Met said it had taken in 67 percent of its potential box-office revenue this season — up only very slightly from last year, its worst showing ever.
In the 2015-16 season, the Met took in 66 percent of its potential capacity. Some numbers are improving a bit more substantially: The company’s paid attendance rate, which includes discounted tickets, rose to 75 percent this season from 72 percent in 2015-16. And the company said it attracted 80,000 new ticket buyers this season, up from 74,000 the year before. The challenge is turning those newcomers into regulars.
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