This is a list of Broadway shows with 1,000 or more performances, sorted by number of performances. Ten shows currently running on Broadway have at least 1,000 performances: the 1996 revival of Chicago , The Lion King , Wicked , The Book of Mormon , Aladdin , Hamilton , Harry Potter and the Cursed Child , Hadestown , Moulin Rouge! , and Six .
Unless otherwise noted, the run count listed is for the original Broadway production of the show. M denotes a musical, P denotes a straight play, R denotes revue, D denotes a dance show, and S denotes a special show or event. Totals current through May 19, 2024.
| Rank | Title | Type | Performances | Opening date | Closing date | Awards | Additional information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Phantom of the Opera | M | 13,981 [1] | January 26, 1988 | April 16, 2023 |
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| 2 | Chicago (1996 revival) | M | 10,793 [2] | November 14, 1996 |
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| 3 | The Lion King | M | 10,413 [3] | November 13, 1997 |
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| 4 | Wicked | M | 7,952 [4] | October 30, 2003 |
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| 5 | Cats | M | 7,485 [5] | October 7, 1982 | September 10, 2000 |
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| 6 | Les Misérables | M | 6,680 [6] | March 12, 1987 | May 18, 2003 |
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| 7 | A Chorus Line | M | 6,137 [7] | July 25, 1975 | April 28, 1990 |
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| 8 | Oh! Calcutta! (1976 revival) | R | 5,959 [8] | September 24, 1976 | August 6, 1989 |
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| 9 | Mamma Mia! | M | 5,758 [9] | October 18, 2001 | September 12, 2015 |
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| 10 | Beauty and the Beast | M | 5,461 [10] | April 18, 1994 | July 29, 2007 |
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| 11 | Rent | M | 5,123 [11] | April 29, 1996 | September 7, 2008 |
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| 12 | The Book of Mormon | M | 4,807 [12] | March 24, 2011 |
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| 13 | Jersey Boys | M | 4,642 [13] | November 6, 2005 | January 15, 2017 |
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| 14 | Miss Saigon | M | 4,092 [14] | April 11, 1991 | January 28, 2001 |
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| 15 | Aladdin | M | 3,579 [15] | March 20, 2014 |
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| 16 | 42nd Street | M | 3,486 [16] | August 25, 1980 | January 8, 1989 |
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| 17 | Grease | M | 3,388 [17] | February 14, 1972 | April 13, 1980 |
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| 18 | Fiddler on the Roof | M | 3,242 [18] | September 22, 1964 | July 2, 1972 |
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| 19 | Life With Father | P | 3,224 [19] | November 8, 1939 | July 12, 1947 |
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| 20 | Tobacco Road | P | 3,182 [20] | December 4, 1933 | May 31, 1941 |
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| 21 | Hamilton | M | 3,021 [21] | August 6, 2015 |
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| 22 | Hello, Dolly! | M | 2,844 [22] | January 16, 1964 | December 27, 1970 |
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| 23 | My Fair Lady | M | 2,717 [23] | March 15, 1956 | September 29, 1962 |
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| 24 | Hairspray | M | 2,642 [24] | August 15, 2002 | January 4, 2009 |
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| 25 | Mary Poppins | M | 2,619 [25] | November 16, 2006 | March 3, 2013 |
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| 26 | Avenue Q | M | 2,534 [26] | July 31, 2003 | September 13, 2009 |
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| 27 | Kinky Boots | M | 2,505 [27] | April 4, 2013 | April 7, 2019 |
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| 28 | The Producers | M | 2,502 [28] | April 19, 2001 | April 22, 2007 |
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| 29 | Beautiful: The Carole King Musical | M | 2,416 [29] | January 12, 2014 | October 27, 2019 |
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| 30 | Annie | M | 2,377 [30] | April 21, 1977 | January 2, 1983 |
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| Cabaret (1998 revival) | M | 2,377 [31] | March 19, 1998 | January 4, 2004 |
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| 32 | Man of La Mancha | M | 2,328 [32] | November 22, 1965 | June 26, 1971 |
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| Rock of Ages | M | 2,328 [33] | April 7, 2009 | January 18, 2015 | |||
| 34 | Abie's Irish Rose | P | 2,327 [34] | May 23, 1922 | October 1, 1927 |
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| 35 | Oklahoma! | M | 2,212 [35] | March 31, 1943 | May 29, 1948 |
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| 36 | Smokey Joe's Cafe | R | 2,036 [36] | March 2, 1995 | January 16, 2000 |
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| 37 | Pippin | M | 1,944 [37] | October 23, 1972 | June 12, 1977 |
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| 38 | South Pacific | M | 1,925 [38] | April 7, 1949 | January 16, 1954 |
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| 39 | The Magic Show | M | 1,920 [39] | May 28, 1974 | December 31, 1978 | ||
| 40 | Aida | M | 1,852 [40] | March 23, 2000 | September 5, 2004 |
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| 41 | Gemini | P | 1,819 [41] | May 21, 1977 | September 6, 1981 | ||
| 42 | Deathtrap | P | 1,793 [42] | February 26, 1978 | June 13, 1982 | ||
| Harry Potter and the Cursed Child | P | 1,793 [43] | April 22, 2018 |
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| 44 | Harvey | P | 1,775 [44] | November 1, 1944 | January 15, 1949 |
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| 45 | Dancin' | D | 1,774 [45] | March 27, 1978 | June 27, 1982 |
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| 46 | La Cage aux Folles | M | 1,761 [46] | August 21, 1983 | November 15, 1987 |
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| 47 | Hair | M | 1,750 [47] | April 29, 1968 | July 1, 1972 |
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| 48 | Dear Evan Hansen | M | 1,672 [48] | December 4, 2016 | September 18, 2022 |
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| The Wiz | M | 1,672 [49] | January 5, 1975 | January 28, 1979 |
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| 50 | Come from Away | M | 1,669 [50] | March 12, 2017 | October 2, 2022 |
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| 51 | Born Yesterday | P | 1,642 [51] | February 4, 1946 | December 31, 1949 |
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| 52 | Crazy for You | M | 1,622 [52] | February 19, 1992 | January 7, 1996 |
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| 53 | Ain't Misbehavin' | R | 1,604 [53] | May 9, 1978 | February 21, 1982 |
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| 54 | The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas | M | 1,584 [54] | June 19, 1978 | March 27, 1982 |
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| 55 | Spamalot | M | 1,575 [55] | March 17, 2005 | January 11, 2009 |
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| 56 | Mary, Mary | P | 1,572 [56] | March 8, 1961 | December 12, 1964 | ||
| 57 | Evita | M | 1,567 [57] | September 25, 1979 | June 26, 1983 |
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| 58 | The Voice of the Turtle | P | 1,557 [58] | December 8, 1943 | January 3, 1948 | ||
| 59 | Matilda the Musical | M | 1,554 [59] | April 11, 2013 | January 1, 2017 |
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| 60 | Waitress | M | 1,544 [60] | April 24, 2016 | January 5, 2020 |
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| 61 | Jekyll & Hyde | M | 1,543 [61] | April 28, 1997 | January 7, 2001 |
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| 62 | Barefoot in the Park | P | 1,530 [62] | October 23, 1963 | June 25, 1967 |
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| 63 | 42nd Street (2001 revival) | M | 1,524 [63] | May 2, 2001 | January 2, 2005 |
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| 64 | Dreamgirls | M | 1,521 [64] | December 20, 1981 | August 11, 1985 |
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| 65 | Mame | M | 1,508 [65] | May 24, 1966 | January 3, 1970 |
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| 66 | Grease (1994 revival) | M | 1,505 [66] | May 11, 1994 | January 25, 1998 |
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| 67 | Hadestown | M | 1,492 [67] | April 17, 2019 |
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| 68 | Same Time, Next Year | P | 1,453 [68] | March 14, 1975 | September 3, 1978 |
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| 69 | Arsenic and Old Lace | P | 1,444 [69] | January 10, 1941 | June 17, 1944 |
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| 70 | The Sound of Music | M | 1,443 [70] | November 16, 1959 | June 15, 1963 |
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| 71 | Me and My Girl | M | 1,420 [71] | August 10, 1986 | December 31, 1989 |
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| 72 | How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying | M | 1,417 [72] | October 14, 1961 | March 6, 1965 |
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| 73 | Hellzapoppin | R | 1,404 [73] | September 22, 1938 | December 17, 1941 | ||
| 74 | The Music Man | M | 1,375 [74] | December 19, 1957 | April 15, 1961 |
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| 75 | Funny Girl | M | 1,348 [75] | March 26, 1964 | July 1, 1967 |
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| 76 | Moulin Rouge! | M | 1,345 [76] | July 25, 2019 |
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| 77 | Mummenschanz | S | 1,326 [77] | March 30, 1977 | April 20, 1980 |
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| 78 | Oh! Calcutta! | R | 1,314 [78] | June 17, 1969 | August 12, 1972 |
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| 79 | Billy Elliot the Musical | M | 1,312 [79] | November 13, 2008 | January 8, 2012 |
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| 80 | School of Rock | M | 1,309 [80] | December 6, 2015 | January 20, 2019 | ||
| 81 | Movin' Out | D | 1,303 [81] | October 24, 2002 | December 11, 2005 |
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| 82 | Brighton Beach Memoirs | P | 1,299 [82] | March 27, 1983 | May 11, 1986 |
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| 83 | Angel Street | P | 1,295 [83] | December 5, 1941 | December 30, 1944 |
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| 84 | Lightnin' | P | 1,291 [84] | August 26, 1918 | August 27, 1921 |
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| 85 | Promises, Promises | M | 1,281 [85] | December 1, 1968 | January 1, 1972 |
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| 86 | The King and I | M | 1,246 [86] | March 29, 1951 | March 20, 1954 |
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| 87 | Cactus Flower | P | 1,234 [87] | December 8, 1965 | November 23, 1968 | ||
| 88 | Sleuth | P | 1,222 [88] | November 12, 1970 | October 13, 1973 |
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| Torch Song Trilogy | P | 1,222 [89] | June 10, 1982 | May 19, 1985 |
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| 90 | 1776 | M | 1,217 [90] | March 16, 1969 | February 13, 1972 |
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| 91 | Equus | P | 1,209 [91] | October 24, 1974 | October 2, 1977 |
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| 92 | Sugar Babies | R | 1,208 [92] | October 8, 1979 | August 28, 1982 | ||
| 93 | Guys and Dolls | M | 1,200 [93] | November 24, 1950 | November 28, 1953 |
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| 94 | In the Heights | M | 1,184 [94] | March 9, 2008 | January 9, 2011 |
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| 95 | Amadeus | P | 1,181 [95] | December 17, 1980 | October 16, 1983 |
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| 96 | Once | M | 1,168 [96] | March 18, 2012 | January 4, 2015 |
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| 97 | Cabaret | M | 1,165 [97] | November 20, 1966 | September 6, 1969 |
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| Memphis | M | 1,165 [98] | October 19, 2009 | August 5, 2012 |
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| 99 | Mister Roberts | P | 1,157 [99] | February 18, 1948 | January 6, 1951 |
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| 100 | Annie Get Your Gun | M | 1,147 [100] | May 16, 1946 | February 12, 1949 |
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| 101 | Guys and Dolls (1992 revival) | M | 1,143 [101] | April 14, 1992 | January 8, 1995 |
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| 102 | The Seven Year Itch | P | 1,141 [102] | November 20, 1952 | August 13, 1955 |
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| 103 | The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee | M | 1,136 [103] | May 2, 2005 | January 20, 2008 |
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| 104 | Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk | D | 1,135 [104] | April 25, 1996 | January 10, 1999 |
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| 105 | Butterflies Are Free | P | 1,128 [105] | October 21, 1969 | July 2, 1972 |
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| 106 | Pins and Needles | R | 1,108 [106] | November 27, 1937 | June 22, 1940 | ||
| 107 | Plaza Suite | P | 1,097 [107] | February 14, 1968 | October 3, 1970 |
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| 108 | Fosse | D | 1,093 [108] | January 14, 1999 | August 25, 2001 |
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| 109 | They're Playing Our Song | M | 1,082 [109] | February 11, 1979 | September 6, 1981 | ||
| 110 | Six | M | 1,081 [110] | October 3, 2021 |
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| 111 | Kiss Me, Kate | M | 1,077 [111] | December 30, 1948 | July 28, 1951 |
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| 112 | Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark | M | 1,066 [112] | June 14, 2011 | January 4, 2014 |
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| 113 | Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope | R | 1,065 [113] | April 19, 1972 | October 27, 1974 | ||
| 114 | The Pajama Game | M | 1,063 [114] | May 13, 1954 | November 24, 1956 |
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| 115 | Shenandoah | M | 1,050 [115] | January 7, 1975 | August 7, 1977 |
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| 116 | Annie Get Your Gun (1999 revival) | M | 1,045 [116] | March 4, 1999 | September 1, 2001 |
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| 117 | The Teahouse of the August Moon | P | 1,027 [117] | October 15, 1953 | March 24, 1956 |
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| 118 | Les Misérables (2014 revival) | M | 1,024 [118] | March 23, 2014 | September 4, 2016 |
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| 119 | Damn Yankees | M | 1,019 [119] | May 5, 1955 | October 12, 1957 |
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| 120 | Grand Hotel | M | 1,017 [120] | November 12, 1989 | April 25, 1992 |
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| 121 | Contact | D | 1,010 [121] | March 30, 2000 | September 1, 2002 |
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| 122 | Never Too Late | P | 1,007 [122] | November 27, 1962 | April 24, 1965 | ||
| 123 | Beatlemania | M | 1,006 [123] | May 31, 1977 | October 17, 1979 | ||
| 124 | Big River | M | 1,005 [124] | April 25, 1985 | September 20, 1987 |
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| 125 | Newsies | M | 1,004 [125] | March 29, 2012 | August 24, 2014 |
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This is a list of shows that have held the record for being the longest-running show (including straight plays and musicals) on Broadway since 1853. A few probable longest-running plays prior to 1853 are also listed.
Not included below is the 1976 revival of the revue Oh! Calcutta! , which briefly overtook A Chorus Line as the Broadway show which had played the most performances, even though A Chorus Line had opened more than a year earlier and was still playing. Oh! Calcutta! achieved this distinction by playing more than the standard eight performances per week. [127] A Chorus Line retook the record for most performances after Oh! Calcutta! closed.
The longest running off-Broadway musical to date is The Fantasticks , which starred Jerry Orbach. When it closed on January 13, 2002, it had run for 42 years and 17,162 performances, making it the world's longest-running musical. The current longest-running musical on Broadway is The Phantom of the Opera , which opened in 1988 and played its final performance in 2023. [128]
M denotes a musical and P denotes a straight play.
| Took lead | Title | Type | Opening date | Closing date | Performances | Comments/Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 9, 2006 [129] | The Phantom of the Opera | M | January 26, 1988 | April 16, 2023 | 13,981 [1] |
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| June 19, 1997 [130] | Cats | M | October 7, 1982 | September 10, 2000 | 7,485 [5] |
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| September 29, 1983 [131] | A Chorus Line | M | July 25, 1975 | April 28, 1990 | 6,137 [7] |
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| December 8, 1979 [132] | Grease | M | February 14, 1972 | April 13, 1980 | 3,388 [17] |
|
| June 17, 1972 [133] | Fiddler on the Roof | M | September 22, 1964 | July 2, 1972 | 3,242 [18] |
|
| June 14, 1947 [135] | Life with Father | P | November 8, 1939 | July 12, 1947 | 3,224 [19] |
|
| June 1939 [136] | Tobacco Road | P | December 4, 1933 | May 31, 1941 | 3,182 [20] |
|
| May 23, 1925 [137] | Abie's Irish Rose | P | May 23, 1923 | October 1, 1927 | 2,327 [34] |
|
| March 17, 1920 [138] [139] [140] | Lightnin' | P | August 26, 1918 | August 27, 1921 | 1,291 [84] |
|
| June 22, 1893 [141] | A Trip to Chinatown | M | November 9, 1891 | August 7, 1893 | 657 [142] | |
| December 1885 [143] | Adonis | M | September 4, 1884 | April 17, 1886 | 603 [144] | |
| May 1881 | Hazel Kirke | P | February 4, 1880 | May 31, 1881 | 486 [145] [146] | |
| August 5, 1867 [149] | The Black Crook | M | September 12, 1866 | January 4, 1868 | 474 [150] |
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| 1853 [152] | Uncle Tom's Cabin (Aiken version) | P | August 8, 1853 | May 13, 1854 | 325 [153] |
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| 1850 | The Drunkard | P | 1850 | October 7, 1850? | 100 [157] |
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| September 24, 1844 | Putnam, the Iron Son of '76 | P | August 5, 1844 | November 2, 1844 | 78 [159] [160] |
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| 1833 | Mazeppa, Or, The Wild Horse of Ukraine | P | July 22, 1833 | September 9, 1833 | 43 [161] |
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| 1831 | The Elephant of Siam and the Fire Fiend by Samuel Beazley | P | January 10, 1831 | ? | 18 [164] |
|
Life with Father is a 1939 play by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, adapted from a humorous autobiographical book of stories compiled in 1935 by Clarence Day. The Broadway production ran for 3,224 performances over 401 weeks to become the longest-running non-musical play on Broadway, a record that it still holds. The play was adapted into a 1947 feature film and a television series.
Fred Ebb was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita Rivera.
Me and Bessie is a musical revue about the life and career of blues singer Bessie Smith. The basically one-woman show, conceived and written by Will Holt and Linda Hopkins and performed by Hopkins, features songs by Lil Green, Clarence Williams, Henry Creamer, Andy Razaf, and Jimmy Cox, among others.
Broadway theatre, or Broadway, is a theatre genre that consists of the theatrical performances presented in 41 professional theaters, each with 500 or more seats, in the Theater District and Lincoln Center along Broadway, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Broadway and London's West End together represent the highest commercial level of live theater in the English-speaking world.
This is a selected list of the longest-running musical theatre productions in history divided into two sections. The first section lists all Broadway and West End productions of musicals that have exceeded 2,500 performances, in order of greatest number of performances in either market. The second section lists, in alphabetical order, musicals that have broken historical long run records for musical theatre on Broadway, in the West End or Off-Broadway, since 1866, in alphabetical order.
Abie's Irish Rose is a popular comedy by Anne Nichols, which premiered in 1922. Initially a Broadway play, it has become familiar through repeated stage productions, films and radio programs. The basic premise involves an Irish Catholic girl and a young Jewish man who marry despite the objections of their families.
David Burns was an American Broadway theatre and motion picture actor and singer.
Marcia Rodd is an American actress, singer, and director. After studying theatre at Northwestern University, she moved to New York City and began a successful career as a stage actress.
The Belle of New York is a musical comedy in two acts, with book and lyrics by Hugh Morton and music by Gustave Kerker, about a Salvation Army girl who reforms a spendthrift, makes a great sacrifice and finds true love.
A Trip to Chinatown is a musical comedy in three acts with a book by Charles H. Hoyt, music by Percy Gaunt and lyrics by Hoyt. In addition to the Gaunt and Hoyt score, many songs were interpolated into the score at one time or another during the run, as was fashionable for musicals of the era. The story concerns a widow who accidentally maneuvers several young suburban couples into a big city restaurant and brings romance to them and herself, as in Hello, Dolly!
Joe DiPietro is an American playwright, lyricist and author. He is best known for the Tony Award-winning musical Memphis, for which he won the Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score as well as for writing the book and lyrics for the long-running off-Broadway show I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.
Lightnin' is a 1925 American silent comedy film directed by John Ford. It was based on a successful play of the same name. The original run of the play started in 1918 at the Gaiety Theatre and continued for 1,291 performances, breaking the record for longest running play at that time. The film was remade in 1930 by Henry King for Fox as an early talkie starring Will Rogers with support from Louise Dresser and Joel McCrea.
Three Men on a Horse is a three-act farce co-authored by John Cecil Holm and George Abbott. The comedy focuses on a man who discovers he has a talent for choosing the winning horse in a race as long as he never places a bet himself. Originally titled Hobby Horse by John Cecil Holm, Three Men On A Horse was a property controlled and produced by Alex Yokel, who reached out to Warner Bros. for financial assistance; Warners agreed to provide financing on the condition Yokel find someone to doctor the script and direct the Broadway production. George Abbott, the director, who had since 1932 directed and produced each of his Broadway productions, immediately saw the potential and rewrote the script and agreed to direct if he received co-author credit and split the author's royalties with Holm. Abbott wrote a third act, resulting in a new three-act play titled Three Men on a Horse.
Tobacco Road is a play by Jack Kirkland first performed in 1933, based on the 1932 novel of the same name by Erskine Caldwell. The play ran on Broadway for a total of 3,182 performances, surpassing Abie's Irish Rose to become the longest-running play in history at the time. As of 2023, it was still the 20th longest-running Broadway show in history, as well as being the second-longest running non-musical ever on Broadway.
Oh! Calcutta! is an avant-garde, risqué theatrical revue created by British drama critic Kenneth Tynan. The show, consisting of sketches on sex-related topics, debuted Off-Broadway in 1969 and then in the West End in 1970. It ran in London for over 3,900 performances, and in New York initially for 1,314. Revivals enjoyed even longer runs, including a 1976 Broadway revival that ran for 5,959 performances, making the show the longest-running revue in Broadway history, the second longest-running revival, and the eighth longest-running Broadway show ever.
The Seven Year Itch is a 1952 three-act play written by George Axelrod. The original Broadway production starred Tom Ewell and Vanessa Brown.
The Madison Square Theatre was a Broadway theatre in Manhattan, on the south side of 24th Street between Sixth Avenue and Broadway. It was built in 1863, operated as a theater from 1865 to 1909, and demolished in 1909 to make way for an office building. The Madison Square Theatre was the scene of important developments in stage technology, theatre design, and theatrical tour management. For about half its history it had other names including the Fifth Avenue Theatre, Daly's Fifth Avenue Theatre, Hoyt's Madison Square Theatre, and Hoyt's Theatre.
John Lionel Golden was an American actor, songwriter, author, and theatrical producer. As a songwriter, he is best-known as lyricist for "Poor Butterfly" (1916). He produced many Broadway shows and four films.
Winchell Smith was an American playwright, known for big hit works such as Brewster's Millions (1906) and Lightnin' (1918). Many of his plays were made into movies. He spent freely but left a large fortune at his death.
Jack Whiting was an American actor, singer and dancer whose career ran from the early 1920s through the late 1950s, playing leading men or major supporting figures.
Notes