On Broadway and the surrounding streets, there are more than ninety theaters with more than 500 seats available. If you’ve made it to Broadway, you’ve really made it. The following 7 musicals are the most succesful, and some are even still running.
Oh! Calcultta! – 5.959 shows
Penned by Kenneth Tynan, a British drama critic, ‘Oh! Calcutta!’ is an avant-garde style theatrical revue which was notorious in its day for including scenes which featured nudity in performance. Presented as a series of sketches and songs which feature contributions from John Lennon, Sam Shepard, Samuel Becket and others, ‘Oh! Calcutta!’ focuses on sex-related themes. Early performances enjoyed much success: the first London shows ran to more than 3,900 performances, whilst New York staged a further 1,314. The Broadway revival, which began in 1976, chalked up a total of 5,959 shows and thus qualified as the longest-running Broadway revue of those times.
Les Misérables – 6.680 shows
Inspired by Victor Hugo’s classic novel, ‘Les Misérables’ features the music of composer Claude-Michel Schönberg and an English libretto by Herbert Kretzmer, taken from the original Boublil/Natel French lyrics. Against the colourful background of 19th-century revolutionary France, the plot recounts the tale of French peasant Jean Valjean as he struggles to redeem his soul, having served a nineteen-year jail sentence for a petty theft. He encounters life-changing kindness, prosperity, and treachery during his lifelong quest. Caught up in the Revolution and near death himself, Valjean performs a final, selfless act of kindness to secure future happiness for a young couple.
The Phantom of the Opera – 13.370 shows
‘The Phantom of the Opera’, featuring the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber plus lyrics from Charles Hart, is the longest-running musical and show on Broadway. Inspired by Leroux’s novel, ‘Le Fantôme de l’Opera’, the plot details the tragic story of a macabre musical genius whose one obsession, and musical inspiration, is a beautiful young soprano. Since opening in 1986 with Michael Crawford in the principal role, the show has continuously broken performance records and scooped prestigious awards. ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ delivered its 10,000th Broadway performance in the spring of 2012 – and so far remains the only musical to have achieved this feat.
Cats – 7.485 shows
The musical ‘Cats’, produced by Cameron Mackintosh, is a musical reworking of T. S. Eliot’s ‘Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’ by composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, and features the song ‘Memory’ as one of its highlights. In the musical, the Jellicles – a tribal group of cats – must determine which cat will be chosen to journey to the Heaviside Layer to experience a form of rebirth. This weighty decision is described as ‘the Jellicle choice’. The award-winning show first opened in London in 1981 with Trevor Nunn as director and choreographer, Gillian Lynne, before moving on to Broadway to set even more records. ‘Cats’ has achieved global success and has been translated into foreign languages at least 20 times.
Chicago – 9.692 shows
‘Chicago’, which features John Kander’s music and Fred Ebb’s lyrics, holds the record as the longest-running production originally premiered on Broadway. The show takes its cue from a 1926 play by crime-reporter Maurine Dallas Watkins. Set in Chicago during Prohibition times, the story is based on real crimes and real criminals, and explores the contemporary relationship between corrupt judicial authorities and gangster celebrities. Choreographer Bob Fosse worked on the original production and his distinctive style remains an influence to this day.
Mamma Mia! – 5.758 shows
British playwright Catherine Johnson wrote this stage musical which features the songs of Swedish pop artists ABBA. The show’s title, ‘Mamma Mia!’, is also the title of one of ABBA’s 1975 Euro chart hits. This song, like all the others featured in the show, was composed by former ABBA songwriters Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus who have also collaborated in the stage musical project. Another former ABBA member, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, has also played an active role behind the scenes and attended many international premieres. The show has played to a total audience of 54 million and earned $2 billion in the process.
The Lion King – 9.302 shows
Based on a 1994 Disney movie, ‘The Lion King’ is scored by Hans Zimmer with South African composer Lebo M contributing the superb choral arrangements. The show also features Tim Rice’s lyrics and the music of Elton John. Under the direction of Julie Taymor, this atmospheric and colourful production incorporates enormous puppets performing alongside actors dressed in animal costumes. The show premiered on Broadway in 1997 and still continues to run. By 2012, having then grossed a total of $853.8 million, ‘The Lion King’ became the highest-earning Broadway musical ever.
