A theatre lover's guide to record breaking on Broadway

The world of theatre and performance captures many people’s interests when thinking about art and entertainment. There is not a place within the United States where theatre culture thrives more than New York City’s Broadway.

From box office achievements, to glowing critical responses, and decades of time on stage, the plays and musicals, both old and new, that touch the Broadway stages often find themselves soaring to new heights of success.  

To honour the city’s vibrant theatre scene, here are five record-breaking achievements on Broadway: 

Longest theatrical run on Broadway  

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1986 opera musical, The Phantom of the Opera, first debuted on London’s West End, ran for a record-breaking 35 years from 26 January 1988 to 16 April 2023, when the show was discontinued on Broadway. These 35 years cultivated in a spectacular 13,981 performances.  

The show was seen by over 20 million people and was a massive box office success, grossing an estimated $1.3 billion during its time on Broadway. The show was also a critical success, winning seven Tony Awards in 1988, including the coveted Best Musical award, even beating out Into the Woods and Dreamgirls.  

Of the show’s allure, Hal Prince, the director, said during the show’s 25th year: "I think the enduring appeal is because it's so romantic and because audiences escape into it.  

"It has a world of its own. And whatever problems they have out on the street and in their daily lives, they come in here and it's like a little kid tripping on a fairy tale or something.” 

Highest grossing show on Broadway 

Although The Phantom of the Opera was a box-office success, Disney's hit 1991 movie-turned-musical, The Lion King takes the cake for the highest grossing Broadway show. With popular songs like “Circle of Life” and “Hakuna Matata”, grand sets, and impressive choreography, the show is perfect for the whole family and attracts a large crowd. This interest led to a total gross of over $1.8 billion (£1.5 billion) as of 5 March 2023.  

Music featuring within the stage version of The Lion King was created by singer-songwriter Elton John and lyricist Tim Rice. The stage-show first debut in October 1997 and has been performed over 8,500 times. 

Highest grossing play on Broadway 

While musicals make up the large majority of high-grossing shows in New York's theatres, one play in particular, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, an original play acting as a sequel to the popular Harry Potter book series, has captured the attention of many. First debuting in July 2016 in Britain, the show has grossed over $330 million (£268.455 million) on Broadway as of 2023. The show has sold more than 10 million tickets. 

The play sees the titular character’s son follow in his prodigy father’s footsteps and attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft.  

Longest running Shakespeare play on Broadway 

In the world of theatre, whether a person preferers a tragedy or a comedy, playwright William Shakespeare (b. 23 April 1564 – d. 23 April 1616) is a cornerstone of the craft. Although shows like Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, and Macbeth were all successes in the theatre world, it was Shakespeare’s 1603 tragedy, Othello, that stayed in the theatre the longest, with 296 performances. 

The impressive run initially opened in October 1943 and has yet to be beaten after over 81 years. The production starred Paul Robenson as Othello, who was the first African American to play the role in the Schubert Theatre.  

The show is returning to the world of Broadway on 25 February with Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal taking on the roles of Othello and Lago respectively.  

Most Tony Awards won by a musical 

While many successful shows have received accolades, like the coveted Tony Award, no single production has won more of the prize than The Producers during the 2001 Tony season with a record-breaking 12 Tony wins. Trophies were handed out for production, acting, and writing awards: Best Choreography, Best Actor in a Musical for Nathan Lane, Best Book of a Musical, Best Orchestrations, Best Musical, and more. The show only lost three of their nominations.  

The show’s music and lyrics were created by Mel Brooks and the plot of the musical regards a Broadway-based get-rich-quick scheme that turns into an accidental authentic success. 

It is worth noting that technically Richard Roger’s 1949 show South Pacific won the most Tony Awards overall, with 17 wins. However, the awards were won over the course of two different productions which is why The Producers holds on to the record. 

Broadway is a place for people to connect to history, fantasy, music, and their emotions. While these records within themselves are impressive, the cultural zeitgeist which they represent is even more so. Art and performance have always been a quintessential part of human society, and these records prove the impact that these shows have on people.  

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