TREADING THE BOARDS
On 9th January 2006, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera became the longest running musical on Broadway with 7,486 performances, beating the record held by the same composer’s Cats. As an encore, we
present our favourite theatrical benchmarks:
Fastest theatrical production
The cast and crew of Dundee University Musical Society in association with Apex Productions, produced and performed
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the Gardyne Theatre, Dundee, UK at 7.30pm on 27 September 2003, in a time of 23 hr 30 min from first receiving the script. The time in production includes auditions, casting, rehearsals,
publicity design, rigging, stage and set design and construction. The musical was performed in front of an audience
of 203, who had paid £10 a ticket to see the 1 hr 49 min production.
Largest chorus line in a single theatrical performance
In the finale of A Chorus Line on the night of 29 September 1983, when it broke the (then) record as the
longest-running Broadway show ever with 3,389 performance, 332 top-hatted 'strutters' performed on stage.
Largest simultaneous performance of one show
The children's musical The Rainbow Juggler was performed in 56 different theatres across the UK, Ireland,
Germany, USA and Australia by 4,568 Stagecoach Theatre Arts students at 7pm on 20 November 1999.
Largest theatre (purpose built)
The most capacious purpose-built theatre is the Perth Entertainment Centre, Western Australia, with 8,500 seats and a main stage area measuring 21.3 x 13.7 m (70 X 45ft). It was opened on 26 December 1974.
Longest career as a theatre director for the same production
Enrique Pineda (Mexico), has continued to direct the monologue La Virgen Loca (The Crazy Virgin), performed
by Hosmé Israel (Mexico) since it's premiere on 24 August 1974 at the Teatro Rafael Solania, Univeristy of
Veracruz, Mexico, a total of 29 years 98 days until it closed on 30 November 2003.
Longest theatrical run of a musical in the West End
Les Misérables is the longest running musical in the history of the West End, with it's 9,000th
show performed at the Queen's Theatre, London, UK on 10 August 2007.
09 January 2008