The vaccination and mask requirements are gone and Broadway is finally getting back to normal including pre-Covid audiences.

Throughout its history, Broadway has seen some very successful and some not so successful productions.  Many of them have had well over 1,000 performances.  In fact, some of the most successful shows are approaching…or even topped…the 10,000 performance mark.

A show typically gives eight performances each week for around 416 performances each year.

Not surprising “The Phantom of the Opera” tops the list with 13,709 performances…and counting as it continues to run on Broadway.  Numbers were posted as of August 21, 2022.

The most successful Broadway productions with at least 1,000 performances are:
“Phantom of the Opera” – 13,709 (running)
the 1996 Revival of “Chicago” – 10,066 (running)
“The Lion King” – 9,683 (running)
“Cats” – 7,486
“Wicked” – 7,219 (running)
“Les Miserables” – 6,680
“A Chorus Line” – 6,137
the 1976 revival of “Oh Calcutta!” – 5.959
“Mamma Mia” – 5,758
“Beauty and the Beast” – 5,461
“Rent” – 5,123
“Hersey Boys” – 4,642
“Miss Saigon” – 4,092
“The Book of Mormon” – 4,079 (running)
“42nd Street” – 3,486
“Grease” – 3,388
“Fiddler on the Roof” – 3,242
“Life with Father” 3,224
“Tobacco Road” – 3,182
“Aladdin” – 2,850 (running)
“Hello, Dolly!” – 2,844
“My Fair Lady” – 2,17
“Hairspray” – 2,642
“Mary Poppins” – 2,619
“Avenue Q” – 2,534
“Kinky Boots” 2,507
“The Producers” – 2,502
“Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” – 2,416
the 1998 revival of “Cabaret” – 2,377
“Annie” – 2,377
“Man of La Mancha” – 2,328
“Rock of Ages” – 2,328
“Abie’s Irish Rose” – 2,327
“Hamilton” – 2,294 (running)
“Oklahoma!” 2,212
“Smokey Joe’s Café” – 2,036
“Pippin” 1,944
“South Pacific” 1,925
“The Magic Show” – 1,920
“Aida” – 1,852
“Gemini” – 1,819
“Deathtrap” – 1,793
“Harvey” – 1,775
“Dancin’” – 1,774
“La Cage aux Folles” – 1,761
“Hair” – 1,750
“The Wiz” – 1,672
“Born Yesterday” – 1,642
“Dear Evan Hansen” – 1,640 (running)
“Crazy for You” – 1,622
“Come from Away” – 1,621 (running)
“Ain’t Misbehavin’” – 1,604
“The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” – 1,584
“Monty Python’s Spamalot” – 1,575
“Mary, Mary” – 1,572
“Evita” – 1,567
“The Voice of the Turtle” – 1,557
“Matilda the Musical” – 1,554
“Waitress” – 1,544
“Jekyll & Hyde” – 1,543
“Barefoot in the Park” – 1,532
the 2001 revival of “42nd Street” – 1,524
“Dreamgirls” – 1,521
“Mame” – 1,508
the 1994 revival of “Grease” – 1,505
“Same Time Next Year” – 1,453
“Arsenic and Old Lace” – 1,444
“The Sound of Music” – 1,443
“Me and My Girl” – 1,420
“How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” – 1,417
“Hellzapoppin’” – 1,404
“The Music Man” – 1,375
“Funny Girl” – 1,348
“Mummenschanz” – 1,326
“Oh! Calcutta!” – 1,316
“Billy Elliot: The Musical” – 1,312
“School of Rock – The Musicial” – 1,309
“Movin’ Out” – 1,303
“Brighton Beach Memoirs” – 1,299
“Angele Street” – 1,295
“Lightinin’” – 1,291
“Promises, Promises” – 1,281
“The King and I” 1,246
“Cactus Flower” – 1234
“Sleuth” – 1,222
“Torch Song Trilogy” – 1,222
“1776” – 1,217
“Equus” – 1,209
“Sugar Babies” – 1,208
“Guys and Dolls” – 1,200
“In the Heights” – 1,185
“Amadeus” – 1,181
“Once” – 1,168
“Memphis” – 1,166
“Cabaret” – 1,165
“Mister Roberts” 1,157
“Annie Get Your Gun” 1,147
the 1992 revival of “Guys and Dolls” – 1,143
“The Seven Year Itch” – 1,141
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” – 1,136
“Bring in da Noise, Bring in da Funk” – 1,135
“Butterflies are Free” – 1,128
“Pins and Needles” – 1,108
“Plaza Suite” – 1,097
“Fosse” – 1,093
“They’re Playing Our Song” – 1,082
“Kiss Me, Kate” – 1,077
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” – 1,067 (running)
“Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark” – 1,066
“Don’t Bother Me, I Can’t Cope” – 1,065
“The Pajama Game” – 1,063
“Shenandoah” – 1,050
the 1999 revival of “Annie Get Your Gun” – 1,045
“The Teahouse of the August Moon” – 1,027
the 2014 revival of “Les Miserables” – 1,024
“Damn Yankees” – 1,019
“Grand Hotel” – 1,017
“Contact” – 1,010
“Never too Late” – 1,007
“Beatlemania” – 1,006
“Big River” – 1,005
“Newsies” – 1,004