NEW YORK — “Giant,” a Broadway play starring John Lithgow as Roald Dahl, the popular children’s author who expressed antisemitic views while criticizing Israel, is officially a hit.

The play’s producers, most of them leading a Broadway production for the first time, announced on Tuesday that the play had recouped its $5.6 million in capitalization costs. That means the producers can repay investors the money they put up to finance the show, and can start earning and distributing profits.

The show, which focuses on remarks Dahl made while criticizing Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, made back its money in 10 weeks, with only seven performances a week for most of those weeks. Most shows take longer to do so, and have eight performances a week. (“Giant” is planning eight performances a week for the remainder of its run.)

During the week that ended May 10, “Giant” outgrossed every other new play and new musical that opened this season; its average ticket price was $175.

“The fact that this show was able to be commercially viable is incredibly encouraging to us as new producers of storytelling,” said Dayna Lee, one of the lead producers. “Art doesn’t have to be easy. It doesn’t have to be wrapped up in a bow. It can leave people lingering.”

“Giant,” written by Mark Rosenblatt, takes place in England, on a single afternoon in 1983, and imagines a confrontation between Dahl — the renowned author of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “James and the Giant Peach” and “Matilda” — and his American publisher, worried about how critical comments Dahl had made about Israel might affect sales of his books.

The play, directed by Nicholas Hytner, was first staged at the Royal Court Theater in London in 2024 and then transferred for a successful commercial run in London’s West End in 2025. The Broadway production, which opened at the Music Box Theater in March to positive reviews, is produced by Brian and Dayna Lee, Stephanie Kramer and Nicole Kramer, and Josh Fiedler and Robyn Goodman; it is running until June 28.

“The fact that we have a 16-week run creates a theatrical event with a sense of urgency around it,” Nicole Kramer said. “And, given the topic of the play, the buzz we had from London, and our strategic pricing, we were able to maximize all of that for our Broadway run.”

The show has been nominated for four Tony Awards, including best play, as well as for Lithgow’s performance, Hytner’s direction, and a featured performance by Aya Cash.