A Look Back at the 10 Longest Running Plays on Broadway History

[bandit964]

Posted: 3/15/26 at 3:59pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/What-Are-Broadways-Longest-Running-Plays-20260315

Great article.  Other than Harry Potter... no other plays in the top ten premiered post 1970s.  I was curious what the longest running plays from 1980 to now are.  I did some research and here is what I found:

1. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, 2018 - 2,540 (as of 03/08/26)

2. Brighton Beach Memoirs, 1983 - 1,299

3. Torch Song Trilogy, 1982 - 1,230

4. Amadeus, 1980 - 1,181

5. Proof, 2000 - 917

6. I'm Not Rappaport, 1985 - 891

7. Children of a Lesser God, 1980 - 887

8. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, 2014 - 799

9. Lost in Yonkers, 1991 - 780

10. TIE M. Butterfly, 1988 - 777

10. TIE The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, 2000 - 777

 

Also, since 2000, only 13 plays have run for more than 1 year:

1. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, 2018 - 2,540 (as of 03/08/26)

2. Proof, 2000 - 917

3. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, 2014 - 799

4. The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, 2000 - 777

5. The 39 Steps, 2008 - 771

6. The Play That Goes Wrong, 2017 - 737

7. War Horse, 2011 - 718

8. Oh, Mary!, 2024 - 691 (as of 03/08/26)

9. August: Osage County, 2007 - 648

10. To Kill a Mockingbird, 2018 - 626

11. Doubt, 2005 - 525

12. Golda's Balcony, 2003 - 493

13. God of Carnage, 2009 - 452

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 3/15/26 at 4:03pm

Oh, Mary is certainly going to crack the top 10 so that is exciting.

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 3/15/26 at 8:49pm

I thought Death Trap would have been in that list.

Well I didn't want to get into it, but he's a Satanist. Every full moon he sacrifices 4 puppies to the Dark Lord and smears their blood on his paino. This should help you understand the score for Wicked a little bit more. Tazber's: Reply to Is Stephen Schwartz a Practicing Christian

[Zeppie2022]

Posted: 3/15/26 at 11:32pm

bandit964 said: "https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/What-Are-Broadways-Longest-Running-Plays-20260315

Great article. Other than Harry Potter... no other plays in the top ten premiered post 1970s. I was curious what the longest running plays from 1980 to now are. I did some research and here is what I found:

1. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, 2018 - 2,540 (as of 03/08/26)

2. Brighton Beach Memoirs, 1983 - 1,299

3.Torch Song Trilogy, 1982 - 1,230

4.Amadeus, 1980 - 1,181

5.Proof, 2000 - 917

6. I'm Not Rappaport, 1985 - 891

7. Children of a Lesser God, 1980 - 887

8. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, 2014 - 799

9.Lost in Yonkers, 1991 - 780

10. TIEM. Butterfly, 1988 - 777

10. TIE The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, 2000 - 777



Also, since 2000, only 13 plays have run for more than 1 year:

1. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, 2018 - 2,540 (as of 03/08/26)

2. Proof, 2000 - 917

3.The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, 2014 - 799

4.The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, 2000 - 777

5. The 39 Steps, 2008 - 771

6. The Play That Goes Wrong, 2017 - 737

7.War Horse, 2011 - 718

8.Oh, Mary!, 2024 - 691(as of 03/08/26)

9.August: Osage County, 2007 - 648

10. To Kill a Mockingbird, 2018 - 626

11.Doubt, 2005 - 525

12. Golda's Balcony, 2003 - 493

13. God of Carnage, 2009 - 452"

I loved "Doubt" and Cherry Jones was fantastic. Saw "War Horse in London and it was brilliant!!

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 3/16/26 at 8:41am

rosscoe(au) said: "I thought Death Trap would have been in that list."

The OP is focused on shows that opened after 1980. DT opened in 78, but did have 1,793 perfs.