The Civic Center of Greater Des Moines posted big numbers with its run of “Jersey Boys,” and the nonprofit organization’s leader said even more money spilled over into the economy of the broader community.

The touring Broadway musical, which ended its three-week run in Des Moines last month, portrays the life and times of the Four Seasons, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame band composed of Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi.

According to Jeff Chelesvig, the Civic Center’s president and CEO, the 58,234 tickets that his venue sold for “Jersey Boys” is substantial for a mid-tier market such as Des Moines.

“It is kind of outstanding that we sold tickets in so many states,” Chelesvig said, referring to buyers from 42 states and Washington, D.C. In Iowa, people from 97 of 99 counties purchased tickets to see one or more of the show’s 24 performances.

Not that all ticket purchasers traveled here.

“Let’s face it,” Chelesvig said. “I’m sure that for the Midwestern states, people that were purchasing were probably the ones that were going to use the tickets. In a lot of the other states, I’m guessing, those were people who bought tickets for somebody (else) to come and see the show.”

But the bigger story, Chelesvig said, is that the positive economic impact of “Jersey Boys” didn’t stop at the box office.

And it spread when the curtain closed.

Pointing to the “The Economic Impact of Touring Broadway,” a 2006 report by the League of American Theatres and Producers Inc. (now The Broadway League), the Civic Center said its $3,514,627 worth of ticket sales for “Jersey Boys” generated an economic impact of more than $10.5 million in Greater Des Moines.

The study, which looked at the 2004-2005 touring Broadway season, said, “On average, the extent of economic impact of Broadway tours to a local metropolitan area was three times the dollar amount of the gross ticket sales.”

For a “medium city,” with a population ranging between 200,000 and 500,000, the study said that an average “full economic impact” of $14.6 million is produced by average gross ticket sales of $5 million, a 2.9-to-1 ratio.

“Unlike some other downtown attractions, people tend to make a night of it when they come to the Civic Center,” Chelesvig said, noting that out-of-town patrons usually hit other Central Iowa attractions while they are in town.

He said he’s aware of several groups, ranging in size from about 40 to 50 people, who traveled to Des Moines from South Dakota and Minnesota to see the Tony Award-winning show.

“The group business was pretty substantial,” Chelesvig said, adding that people visiting from out of state are also more likely to stay overnight, which means increased business for hotels, restaurants and retailers.

And those who attend more risqué shows such as “Jersey Boys,” compared with more family-oriented hits such as “The Lion King,” he said, are more likely to partake in the night life.

“We always see a nice increase in sales with Civic Center events,” said Scott Carlson, owner of Court Avenue Restaurant and Brewing Co. Shows that last longer than a week – “Jersey Boys’ ran from July 7 to July 25 – create more momentum and lead to even more receipts.

“People make a weekend out of it; people come in to lunch the next day,” Carlson said.

“The beautiful thing about the Civic Center is that we know” when the shows are coming, he said, which gives the restaurant ample time to gear up its staff for a rush. “It’s a very good situation to be in. And they are so close.”

“We’ve had a long-standing relationship with them,” Chelesvig said of Carlson’s establishment, noting that the Civic Center typically holds its cast parties there on opening night.

“Scott was one of the people that stepped up to the plate many years ago,” Chelesvig said. “I think he is one of the first ones to truly understand the value of the Civic Center.”

“That’s just a great relationship; it’s a nice way for us to say thanks to them” for being a good neighbor, Carlson said, noting that hosting the parties gives his restaurant a chance to welcome the casts while giving performers an opportunity to unwind.

Other business owners Chelesvig spoke to, including Baratta’s on Des Moines’ South Side, also had good things to say about the “Jersey Boys” tour stop. “They clearly told me that they saw an uptick in business during the run,” he said.

“All I can tell you is what I hear when I talk to the restaurateurs,” Chelesvig continued. “I think if you talk to any of the restaurateurs, you’re going to find that these shows greatly benefit their businesses.”

Chelesvig said a new economic impact study by The Broadway League is due to be released in a few months.

“There’s obviously been some growth since (the last) report was done,” said Dale Stark, a Civic Center spokesman. “I would definitely expect those ratios to increase.”

In January, based on 2009 ticket sales, Pollstar magazine ranked the Civic Center No. 17 in the world on its 2010 top 100 list of theater venues. The Civic Center sold 208,645 tickets last year, which put it ahead of other Midwestern venues such as St. Louis’ Fabulous Fox Theatre (No. 23), Chicago’s Chicago Theatre (No. 28) and Minneapolis’ Orpheum Theatre (No. 38).

“We had a great year,” Chelesvig said. “I think we continually surprise people from around the country,” noting a showing of “Wicked” attracted about 80,000 patrons.

“We are drawing 340,000 people a year to downtown, and that’s a pretty significant number,” Chelesvig said. “The proof, really, is the amount of growth we have seen downtown, especially in the restaurant scene.”

“Overall,” the report concluded, “the Touring Broadway industry is a vital asset to cities all over the country, both culturally and financially.”

“Jersey Boys” was part of the Civic Center’s 2009-2010 Willis Broadway Series.