Dozens of musicals and plays put on shows each year on Broadway and Off-Broadway; some of those shows have some long lives with hundreds and even thousands of shows, while others are very short lived; while still others have limited runs.

A typical week on Broadway is eight performances for a total 416 shows a year.

The Broadway League has compiled a list of the longest running shows in Broadway history – beginning with at least 1,000 shows but do not include previews.  With a few exceptions, all of the shows listed are the original runs and not revivals.  The numbers will continue to change with some of the shows on the listing are still running.  There are nearly 3,000 shows between the number one and two shows on the list.

Longest Running Shows on Broadway:
“The Phantom of the Opera” – 13, 981
“Chicago” (1996 Revival) – 11,057 – still running
The Lion King” – 10,680 – still running
“Wicked” – 8,217 – still running
“Cats” – 7,485 
“Les Misérables” – 6,680
“A Chorus Line” – 6, 137
“Oh Calcutta!” (1976 Revival) – 5,959
“Mama Mia!” 5,758
“Beauty and the Beast” – 5,461
“Rent” – 5,123
“The Book of Mormon” – 5,071 – still running
“Jersey Boys” 4,642
“Miss Saigon” – 4,092
“Aladdin” – 3,844 – still running
“42nd Street” – 3,486
“Grease” – 3,388
“Hamilton” – 3,285 – still running
“Fiddler on the Roof” – 3,342
“Life with Father” – 3,224
“Tobacco Road” – 3,182
“Hello, Dolly!” – 2,844
“My Fair Lady” 2,717
“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
“Cabaret” – (1998 Revival) – 2,377
“Annie” – 2,377
“Man of La Mancha” – 2,328
“Rock of Ages” – 2,328
“Albie’s Irish Rose” – 2,327
“Oklahoma” – 2,212
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” – 2,056 – still running
“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
“Hadestown” – 1,756 – still running
“Hair” – 1,750
“The Wiz” – 1,672
“Dear Evan Hansen” – 1,672/
“Come from Away” – 1,669
“Born Yesterday” – 1,642
“Crazy for You” – 1,622
“Moulin Rouge! The Musical” – 1,609 – still running
“Ain’t Misbehavin’” – 1,604
“The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” – 1,584
“Monty Python’s Samalot” – 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
“42nd Street” (2001 Revival) – 1,524
“Dreamgirls” – 1,521
“Mame” – 1,508
“Grease” (1994 Revival) – 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
“SIX: The Musical” – 1,346 – still running
“Mummenshanz” – 1,326 
“Oh! Calcutta” – 1,316
“Billy Elliott: The Musical” – 1,312
“School of Rock – The Musical” – 1,309
“Movin’ Out” – 1,303
“Brighton Beach Memoirs” – 1,299
“Angel Street” – 1,295
“Lightinin’” – 1,291
“Promises, Promises” – 1,281
“The King and I” – 1,246
“Cactus Flower” – 1,234
“MJ The Musical” – 1,222 – still running
“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
“Guys and Dolls” (1992 Revival) – 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
“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
“Annie Get Your Gun” (1999 Revival) – 1,045
“The Teahouse of the August Moon” – 1,027
“Les Miserables” (2014 Revival) – 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