Long-running musical theatre productions


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.

Longest-running musicals on Broadway and the West End

The following is a list of musical theatre productions that have exceeded 2,500 performances in Broadway or West End theatres.
  1. Les Misérables, 1985 London, 1987 Broadway, m Claude-Michel Schönberg, lb Alain Boublil
  2. The Phantom of the Opera, 1986 London, 1988 Broadway m Andrew Lloyd Webber, l Charles Hart, b Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe
  3. Blood Brothers, 1983 London, 1993 Broadway, mlb Willy Russell
  4. Chicago,, m John Kander, l Fred Ebb, b Bob Fosse and Fred Ebb
  5. The Lion King, 1997 Broadway, 1999 London, m Elton John, l Tim Rice, b Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi
  6. Cats, 1981 London, 1982 Broadway, m Andrew Lloyd Webber, l T. S. Eliot, b Lloyd Webber and Trevor Nunn
  7. Mamma Mia!, 1999 London, 2001 Broadway, ml Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, b Catherine Johnson
  8. Starlight Express, 1984 London, 1987 Broadway, 1988 Bochum, Germany, m Andrew Lloyd Webber, l Richard Stilgoe
  9. Wicked, 2003 Broadway, 2006 London, ml Stephen Schwartz, b Winnie Holzman
  10. Black and White Minstrels, 1960, mlb George Mitchell
  11. A Chorus Line, 1975 Broadway, 1976 London, m Marvin Hamlisch, l Edward Kleban, b James Kirkwood, Jr. and Nicholas Dante
  12. Oh! Calcutta!, 1969 Broadway, 1970 London, m Peter Schickele, Robert Dennis and Stanley Walden, lb various
  13. Beauty and the Beast, 1994 Broadway, 1997 London, m Alan Menken, l Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, b Linda Woolverton
  14. Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story, 1995, ml Buddy Holly, b Alan Janes
  15. Rent, 1996 Broadway, 1998 London, mlb Jonathan Larson
  16. We Will Rock You, 2002, m Queen, lb Ben Elton and Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor
  17. Thriller – Live, 2009 London, ml The Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson, b Adrian Grant
  18. Jersey Boys, 2005 Broadway, 2008 London, m Bob Gaudio, l Bob Crewe, b Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice
  19. Billy Elliot the Musical, 2005 London, 2008 Broadway, m Elton John, lb Lee Hall
  20. The Book of Mormon, 2011 Broadway, 2013 London, mlb Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
  21. Miss Saigon, 1989 London, 1991 Broadway,, m Claude-Michel Schönberg, l Alain Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.,b Alain Boublil
  22. Avenue Q, 2003 Broadway, 2006 London, ml Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, b Jeff Whitty
  23. 42nd Street, 1980 Broadway, 1984 London, m Harry Warren, l Al Dubin, b Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble
  24. Matilda the Musical, 2011 London, 2013 Broadway, ml Tim Minchin, b Dennis Kelly
  25. Grease, 1972 Broadway, 1973 London, mlb Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey
  26. Jesus Christ Superstar, 1971 Broadway, 1972 London, m Andrew Lloyd Webber, lb Tim Rice
  27. Me and My Girl,, m Noel Gay, lb Douglas Furber and L. Arthur Rose
  28. Fiddler on the Roof, 1964 Broadway, 1967 London, m Jerry Bock, l Sheldon Harnick, b Joseph Stein
  29. Evita, 1978 London, 1979 Broadway, m Andrew Lloyd Webber, l Tim Rice
  30. The Rocky Horror Show, 1973 London, 1975 Broadway, mlb Richard O'Brien
  31. Hello, Dolly!, 1964 Broadway, 1965 London, ml Jerry Herman, b Michael Stewart
  32. My Fair Lady, 1956 Broadway, 1958 London, m Frederick Loewe, lb Alan Jay Lerner
  33. Hairspray, 2002 Broadway, 2007 London, m Marc Shaiman, l Shaiman and Scott Wittman, b Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan
  34. Mary Poppins, 2004 London, 2006 Broadway, ml Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, b Julian Fellowes
  35. Oliver!, 1960 London, 1963 Broadway, mlb Lionel Bart
  36. Aladdin, 2014 Broadway, m Alan Menken, l Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin, b Beguelin
  37. The Producers, 2001 Broadway, 2004 London, ml Mel Brooks, b Brooks and Thomas Meehan

    Other historic long runs

The following is an annotated alphabetical list of other musicals that set records for long runs.