Longest-Running Broadway Shows

The Phantom of the Opera is the longest-running production on New York’s Broadway, according to data compiled by Forbes. The show gave its final bow on April 16 after 35 years, racking up some 13,981 performances. In that time it won a total of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Direction of a Musical.

Chicago, a musical about the jazz age, comes in second place, having first appeared on Broadway in 1975 before closing in 1977. The show came back with a revival in 1996 and is still running, having won 6 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical. While in third place comes The Lion King, which has drawn in more than 60 million people from around the world since it opened its doors in 1997. It has also won six of the prestigious Tony Awards, including Best Musical and according to the Guinness World Records, had grossed some $1,820,763,207 (£1,511,546,633) as of March 2023.

Rounding off the top 10 are Mamma Mia! with 5,758 shows, having run from 2001 to 2015 and Beauty and the Beast in 10th place with 5,462 shows, which ran from 1994 to 2007.