Which show have you seen the most number of times? — Page 3

I seldom see shows multiple times, but I saw "Once On This Island" at least three if not four times and I saw "Next To Normal" three times.

Les Miserables (NY, London, Toronto, Tour) about 20
Jesus Christ Superstar at least 15
Billy Elliot (NY, London,Tour) about 10
Phantom 6 or 7
Spamalot 4
Sweeney Todd 4

LES MISERABLES- 25
PHANTOM- 20
WICKED- 8

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Hairspray - 30 times
Ragtime (revival) - 9 times
Titanic - 9 times
King and I ('96 revival) - 9 times
Gypsy (Tyne Daly) - 9 times

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I can't believe people complain about ticket prices when they see shows 20 times or more.

I saw only two Broadway shows more than once when I lived in NYC and one more since I moved away. Partly because, when I did have enough money to see a show again, I spent it on a show I hadn't seen yet, and partly because I didn't have enough money to see shows more than 1-2 times per month (at most).

I did see "Ragtime" in Los Angeles 4 times, but I had comps for two of those performances.

The two Broadway shows I saw more than once when I lived in NYC:

Fences (I had comps the first time, then paid to see it again because the performances were so incredible)

The Mystery of Edwin Drood (original production) -- I saw it with the full OBC in previews, then went back over a year later when a friend from out of town wanted to see it.

Everything else was a "one time only" experience until I moved away.

I saw "Cats" when it opened on Broadway (about a month into the run with the full OBC), then I saw it again 14 years later, toward the end of the run. I figured the statute of limitations had run out on that one, so I saw it again with my partner.

I've also seen a couple of shows on both coasts:

Les Miserables (full OBC and 11 years later in a touring company in Los Angeles)

Lion King (full OBC and original first national tour)

Everything else has been a "one night only" experience, and honestly, I wouldn't trade that for anything.

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Broadway: Spring Awakening 10 times, because of the $35 stage seats.
Urinetown: 16+ regional, different productions, Boston area.
Smokey Joe's: maybe 20 different productions.
Also more than a few productions: Sweeney, Fantasticks, Christmas Carol, Xanadu, Gypsy, 3 Penny, Assassins, Wicked, Producers, Chicago.
Cats: As many times as we have grandkids, not my idea.
It's fun comparing different productions.

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Some people like to savor the one-time-only experience, that makes sense. Some like to repeat the experience many times. I don't think that makes any of us wrong, or qualifies any of us to be on the list of things someone else can't believe. My repeats have all been over many years. I haven't complained about ticket prices. It costs what it costs. If you can go then you do.

Updated On: 5/30/13 at 10:28 AM

South Pacific 9x
Les Miserables 7x
Fiddler on the Roof 6x
Spelling Bee 6x

All different productions.
I have seen a duplicate of the same production a few times.
Gibson Fleck (univ. of Michigan)
Legally Blonde (National Tour Detroit, St. Louis, but they made changes in the show so not really the same production)
Children of Eden (children's theatre matinee & night same day, my wife was in the pit)
Curtains (community theatre)
Catch Me If You Can (national tour Chicago, Detroit)

In HS I would see two shows of the HS musical, but they double cast, so I would see both sets of leads.

The only 2 times I have seen The Secret Garden I saw them on back to back nights by 2 different community theatres. We will have to see if the lead in the 1st one we saw becomes a star as we predicted only 13 yrs old...

next to normal (broadway, tour, regional) - 23
cats (regional) - 10ish (?)
hair (revival, non-eq tour) - 5
jerusalem (broadway) - 2 (i wish this had been open longer.)

About ticket prices, I see it like this: You know how the Public Theater's big hits over the years, such as HAIR, subsidized their smaller projects? That's how I am about sky-high ticket prices. I try to see as much as I can via rush or standing room to sort of subsidize my multiple visits to productions I know will not offer discounts. So, yes, one can complain (or deal creatively with) high ticket prices while still going for repeat visits to favorites. Makes sense to me.

Maybe someone will start a "Theater tickets are too damned high" political party. :)

Phantom of the Opera: 24 times
- 5 x Belgium
- 3 x London
- 2 x US Tour
- 2 x Germany
- 12 x Broadway

Les Mis: 28 times (26 x London and 2 x Broadway)
Jersey Boys: 7 times (3 x Broadway and 4 x London)
Young Frankenstein: 11 times
Memphis: 8 times
Next To Normal: 5 times
Elisabeth: 6 times

And a LOT of shows 2 or 3 times...

I was out with a couple from a long-running (current) show just last week. At one point, conversation turned to "fans," and they mentioned those people who return to a show over and over again.

They confessed to having conflicted feelings about these fans (particularly when they came to the stage door, expecting contact) - flattered by the love, but also a little scared that it felt like a short step away from unhealthy obsession. (To which someone asked, "is there such as thing as healthy obsession?")