Larger venues such as the Fox Theatre in Detroit and the Rosemont Theatre outside Chicago trailed the Buell in gross sales and the number of shows.

The Buell Theatre seats 2,830. The highest-ranking theatre in the category, the Fox Theatre in Georgia, is almost twice as big, with 4,600 seats. Its 240 shows grossed $26.07 million in 2001.

"The Buell and the Denver Performing Arts Complex is one of Denver's crown jewels and citizens young and old are taking advantage of the vast opportunities to enjoy the productions at the Buell," says Mayor Wellington Webb. "Clearly, as this report indicates, the citizens of Denver and the region are enjoying the wide variety of theatrical productions at the Buell."

Adds Rodney Smith, general manger of the Denver Performing Arts Complex, "The Buell has consistently been a top-grossing theatre for its size nationally. The Buell was built to meet the demand from our citizens to bring more local and national theatrical productions into Denver. The ranking by Billboard/Amusement Business confirms the fact that our local public supports the performing arts on a large scale."

The Buell is housed in the Denver Performing Arts Complex, the state's largest performing arts facility, on Speer Boulevard and Arapahoe Road. The three major theatres in the Arts Complex -- the Auditorium Theatre, Boettcher Concert Hall and the Buell -- are owned and operated by the city and county of Denver.

The addition of the Buell Theatre substantially increased the number of theatre seats, patrons, and events in the Arts Complex. The theatre marked its 10th anniversary last year.