Monday, August 2, 2010

Fun Fact of the Day: Long Running Broadway Musicals

While some great Broadway shows have had to close early due to finances, other shows have enjoyed very extensive Broadway runs. The following are the top ten longest running Broadway Shows.

*1. The Phantom of the Opera-opened January1988; currently running
*2. Cats-opened October1982; closed September 2000
**3. Les Miserables-opened March 1987; closed May 2003
***4. A Chorus Line-opened July 1975; closed April 1990
5. Oh! Calcutta! (revival)-opened September 1976; closed October 1989
6. Chicago (revival)-opened November 1996; currently running
7. Beauty and the Beast-opened April 1994; closed July 2007
8. The Lion King-opened November 1997; currently running
9. Rent-opened April 1996; closed September 2008
**10. Miss Saigon-opened April 1991; closed January 2001

Notable Facts:
*The two longest running musicals in Broadway history were both composed by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber
**The 3rd and 10th longest running musicals were both written by Claude -Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil
***Because the top 3 longest running musicals are "British Imports," having premiered on the West End before opening on Broadway, many theatre purists consider A Chorus Line to be the longest running "Broadway musical"

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