Longest theatrical run of a show (musical or play) on Broadway

The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical “Phantom of the Opera” is the longest-running show in the history of Broadway—musical or play—having reached the milestone 10,000 performances at the Majestic Theatre in New York, USA, on 11 February 2012. Its first performance on Broadway occurred on 26 January 1988. The megahit eclipsed the previous mark held by “Cats”, an adaptation of T.S. Eliot’s work, on 9 January 2006 when it played its 7,486th performance beating the former record holder’s mark of a paltry 7,485 performances. Although “Phantom” holds this record for Broadway, London is another story. The show weighs in as the third longest-running show in the history of London’s West End, trailing the venerable Agatha Christie mystery, “The Mousetrap”—the longest-running play in West End History and the musical “Les Miserables,” based on the classic 19th Century Victor Hugo novel, which reigns as the longest-running musical in West End history. The London production of “Phantom” played its 10,000th performance on 23 October 2010.