Remember the impending demise of Broadway? Well, you might want to hold off writing the obit.

Between last fall's market meltdown and the multiple show closings in January, many predicted an end to Broadway as we know it. Empty theaters. No more lavish productions. Empty seats in operating theaters. Truth is, it didn't happen.

The Broadway League released its annual review of statistics for the "official" Broadway year, which ended May 24. According to League Executive Director Charlotte St. Martin (photo above), attendance was down about 1 percent, ticket sales were up a little more than half a percent (to $943 million) and a record number of new shows opened. Given the economy, that's got to be recorded as win.

And at least someone must be thinking there's a future on stage. Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark opens in 2010 at a reported cost of more than $40 million, which will make it the most expensive Broadway production ever mounted.