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List of the longest-running Broadway shows

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This is a list of Broadway shows with 1,000 or more performances, sorted by number of performances. As of September 19, 2026, 13 shows currently running on Broadway have had 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, Six, MJ the Musical, & Juliet, The Outsiders, and The Great Gatsby.

The Phantom of the Opera ran at the Majestic Theatre on Broadway from 1988 to 2023.

List

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. Bold titles indicate that the show is currently running. Totals current through October 18, 2026.

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*The show originally was tied with an older show that had the exact number of performances

Timeline of longest-running Broadway shows

The Black Crook, which ran from 1866 to 1868, was the first Broadway show to run for over one year.[130]

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.[131] 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.[132]

M denotes a musical and P denotes a straight play.

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Took lead Title Type Opening
date
Closing
date
Performances Comments/Notes
2006-01-09January 9, 2006[133] The Phantom of the Opera M 1988-01-26January 26, 1988 2023-04-16April 16, 2023 13,981[1]
1997-06-19June 19, 1997[134] Cats M 1982-10-07October 7, 1982 2000-09-09September 10, 2000 7,485[5]
1983-09-29September 29, 1983[135] A Chorus Line M 1975-07-25July 25, 1975 1990-04-28April 28, 1990 6,137[7]
1979-12-08December 8, 1979[136] Grease M 1972-02-14February 14, 1972 1980-04-13April 13, 1980 3,388[18]
  • 2 Drama Desk Awards in 1972
  • Revivals in 1994 (1,505 performances) and 2007 (554 performances)
1972-06-17June 17, 1972[137] Fiddler on the Roof M 1964-09-22September 22, 1964 1972-07-02July 2, 1972 3,242[19]
  • Became longest running musical in July 1971, at 2,845 performances passing 2,844 mark of Hello Dolly!.[138]
  • 9 Tony Awards in 1965, including Best Musical
  • A Special Tony Award in 1972 for becoming Broadway's longest-running musical
  • Revivals in 1976 (167 performances), 1981 (53 performances), 1990, (241 performances), 2004 (781 performances), and 2015 (431 performances)
1947-06-14June 14, 1947[139] Life with Father P 1939-11-08November 8, 1939 1947-07-12July 12, 1947 3,224[20]
1939-06-01June 1939[140] Tobacco Road P 1933-12-04December 4, 1933 1941-05-31May 31, 1941 3,182[21]
  • Revivals in 1942 (34 performances), 1943 (66 performances), and 1950 (7 performances)
1925-05-23May 23, 1925[141] Abie's Irish Rose P 1923-05-23May 23, 1923 1927-10-1October 1, 1927 2,327[36]
  • Revivals in 1937 (46 performances) and 1954 (20 performances)
1920-03-17March 17, 1920[142][143][144] Lightnin' P 1918-08-26August 26, 1918 1921-08-27August 27, 1921 1,291[87]
  • Revival in 1938 (54 performances)
1893-06-22June 22, 1893[145] A Trip to Chinatown M 1891-11-09November 9, 1891 1893-08-07August 7, 1893 657[146]
1885-12-01December 1885[147] Adonis M 1884-09-04September 4, 1884 1886-04-17April 17, 1886 603[148]
1881-05-01May 1881 Hazel Kirke P 1880-02-04February 4, 1880 1881-05-31May 31, 1881 486[149][150]
  • 250th performance programme claimed play had exceeded number of consecutive performances of any "similar play" in the country on its 238th performance,[151] which is no doubt a reference to Pique (1875) which ran for 237 performances.[152]
1885-12-01March 1868 Humpty Dumpty M 1868-03-10March 10, 1868 1869-05-15May 15, 1869 483[153]
  • Revival in 1871-1872 (333 performances)
1867-08-05August 5, 1867[154] The Black Crook M 1866-09-12September 12, 1866 1868-01-04January 4, 1868 474[155]
  • First Broadway show to run for over one year.[130] In terms of a "musical", The Seven Sisters (1860–61, 253 perf.), was probably the longest running show closest to a "musical" prior to this.[156]
1853-10-011853[157] Uncle Tom's Cabin (Aiken version) P 1853-08-23August 8, 1853 1854-05-13May 13, 1854 325[158]
1850-01-011850 The Drunkard P 1850-01-011850 1850-10-07October 7, 1850? 100[162]
1844-09-24September 24, 1844 Putnam, the Iron Son of '76 P 1844-08-05August 5, 1844 1844-11-02November 2, 1844 78[164][165]
  • At the Bowery Theatre. If Mazeppa ran 43 nights in 1833 and was previous record, Putnam became most performed on its 44th performance on September 24, 1844.
1833-08-091833 Mazeppa, Or, The Wild Horse of Ukraine P 1833-06-22July 22, 1833 1833-09-09September 9, 1833 43[166]
1831-01-281831 The Elephant of Siam and the Fire Fiend by Samuel Beazley P 1831-01-10January 10, 1831 1831? 18[169]
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