Contrary to what I predicted in this post two years ago, The Phantom of the Opera has now passed Cats as the longest-running show in Broadway history. Back when Cats took the trophy away from A Chorus Line, there was much wailing and weeping in the theatrical community. Even folks who didn't like Chorus Line felt it was way more deserving than Cats. There was the feeling in some circles that for the feline-themed musical to have that distinction said something unflattering about Broadway or about the standards of Broadway.
I don't know that it does. It might say something about more effective marketing or advertising or discount ticket promotions. It might also be significant that none of the shows in the Top Ten were really star-dependent and therefore subject to dips when certain performers departed. I mean, the original production of The Music Man ran 1,375 performances. If Robert Preston had been willing to remain in it for twenty years, it probably would have run twenty years. For reference, here's the Top Seventeen…
- The Phantom of the Opera (7,487 performances)
- Cats (7,485 performances)
- Les Misérables (6,680 performances)
- A Chorus Line (6,137 performances)
- Oh! Calcutta! (Revival) (5,959 performances)
- Beauty and the Beast (4,818 performances)
- Miss Saigon (4,097 performances)
- Rent (4,051 performances)
- Chicago (Revival) (3,804 performances)
- 42nd Street (3,486 performances)
- The Lion King (3,436 performances)
- Grease (3,388 performances)
- Fiddler on the Roof (3,242 performances)
- Life With Father (3,224 performances)
- Tobacco Road (3,182 performances)
- Hello, Dolly! (2,844 performances)
- My Fair Lady (2,717 performances)
Phantom will have its title for a long time. No one expects it to close soon and whenever that day comes, it's unlikely that Beauty and the Beast, which is the next show on that list still running, will be running six and a half a years after that. Which is what it would take to snatch the title away. Nor will Rent, the revival of Chicago or The Lion King — the other shows on this list that are still racking up performances — probably hang around that long.
If I had to guess, I'd bet that Chicago would have the best shot at toppling Phantom but that's unlikely. Let's imagine Phantom runs three more years, which is a reasonable prediction, I think. Not only would Chicago have to also stay open for those three years but it would then have to run until around Christmas of 2017 to move into first place. The Producers, which has had around 1,968 performances, would have to run until April of 2025. So for the rest of our lives, Phantom of the Opera may be the longest-running show in Broadway history. I wish I knew more than a few people who liked it.