Longest Running TOURS

[overthemoonboy]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 4:02am

Don't hate me, I looked and found nothing on this. Anyone know of the longest running National Tours? I'm guessing Phantom for sure and maybe Beauty... I'm talking longest tours... not most tours (e.g., Les Mis NT 1,2,3, etc).

[dramarama2]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 4:14am

The Little Shop of Horrors revival tour seemed to go on for AGES. It mighten have been that long but it seemed forever. I remember thinking "They're still touring?".

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 4:27am

Of the current ones, I'm sure Phantom is the longest.

I'm sure Les Mis 3NT ran for about 17 (almost 18 ) years, if I remember correctly.

Updated On: 8/8/07 at 04:27 AM

[IAMmyownMUSICAL]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 4:36am

what about Wicked? That tour will NEVER end

[mikeyb16]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 5:40am

Beauty & The Beast went on Tour for quite a while, about 7-9 years I think

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 5:41am

Wicked tour has been running for about more than 2 years.

[TWSFan4Ever]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 8:01am

I agree with IAMmyownMUSICAL, the "Wicked" tour will probably never end. And if it does: a 2nd tour will start after it.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 11:03am

JCS w/ Ted Neeley and Carl Anderson (1992-1997, Equity from about '92-'95, then non-Equity thereafter) did fairly well, something like 1,753 shows -- correct me if I'm wrong, but one statistic from somewhere called this the longest-running North American musical theatre revival of all time. Is this true?

[James885]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 11:11am

The Phantom tour has gotta be up there as one of the longest running tours.

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 11:11am

Hasn't Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat had several touring productions? I saw the one with Sam Harris.

[Tag]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 11:50am

The current Phantom tour has been running since either '93 or '94 I believe.

[BDavis0092]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 11:58am

Phantom has to be the longest. I could see Wicked overtaking it sometime though. If Phantom ever closes.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 12:04pm

The Phantom of the Opera's Third National Tour opened in Seattle in December 1993. Thus, this is its 14th year.

But the honor of longest tour would likely go to...

Les Miserables

Its Third National Tour ran from November 28, 1988 until July 23, 2006. That's a run of 18 years!

Updated On: 8/8/07 at 12:04 PM

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 12:11pm

Oh my gosh! And I never even saw it....

[Someday]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 2:13pm

Could someone explain the difference between the first national tour and the second or third? I used to think "first" referred to the first year or season of a tour, and the "second" for the second year, etc. But that's obviously wrong.

If they're not differentiated by year, is it the producers? Is it that each numbered national tour has a different set of producers? In the case of Les Miz, I thought the same people produced all the tours. Anyone know how this works?

[ElFantasma14]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 2:20pm

1st national tour means it was the first tour that was sent out. If Wicked started a second tour, it would be the 2nd National Tour. Jersey Boys currently has a first and second tour running, and I believe both Phantom and Les Miz had three national tours running at the same time, though I'm not sure so don't quote me on it.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 3:08pm

Yes, Phantom and Les Mis had three tours at one point. Each tour is called first and so on according to the order in which they opened.

Often times, the multiple tours receive their own names. For example, the tours of Phantom of the Opera were/are called, in order, the Christine Company, the Raoul Company, and the Music Box Company.

Updated On: 8/8/07 at 03:08 PM

[YoYo12345]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 3:26pm

rent and hairspray...

[Fanadu_Xtreme]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 3:44pm

Hairspray? Are you kidding me?

[RockabyeHamlet]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 4:17pm

I believe RENT has had a few tours as well, named for the charecters. How long have those been running?

[jam_man]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 4:22pm

Are the tour names with the character official names or just names given to them by fans? 'Cause while I've heard tours being reffered to as the Benny tour, or the Marius company, or whathaveyou, but the websites and official statements never say anything like that.

[YoYo12345]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 4:46pm

Yes, Fanadu_Xtreme, I am serious. Hairspray tour dats back to late 2002/early 2003 for the first national. Maybe our description of "long running" is different but I'd consider min. 4 years as being "long running" especially when you start actually counting the 40 different casts/national tours that under Hairspray's belt. Now if we're talking non-equity then, you're right. A year long run, even to the other side of the world as of this summer, shouldn not mean "long running."

As for Rent, I believe it's been a little less than 10 years since the first tour set out.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 4:48pm

I don't think Wicked's will ever stop.

[Fanadu_Xtreme]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 9:09pm

Yes, Fanadu_Xtreme, I am serious. Hairspray tour dats back to late 2002/early 2003 for the first national. Maybe our description of "long running" is different but I'd consider min. 4 years as being "long running" especially when you start actually counting the 40 different casts/national tours that under Hairspray's belt. Now if we're talking non-equity then, you're right. A year long run, even to the other side of the world as of this summer, shouldn not mean "long running."

The Hairspray tour did not open in late 2002/early 2003. It launched in Baltimore, September 9th 2003. The tour ended on June 25th 2006. That would give it a run of about 2 years and ten months.

Now I don't think 2 years and ten months is a long running tour. Les Miz which ran for 18 years- that is a long running tour. Two years and ten months is nothing to brag about.
Updated On: 8/8/07 at 09:09 PM

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 8/8/07 at 9:28pm

2 years and 10 months was far less than expected, actually. Fanadu knows their stuff!

Keep in mind people that shows close down some tours and reopen later on before you suggest a show.