Who has had the most 1000 show runs on Broadway?

[BeingAlive44Ever]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 10:18pm

This is a question that I started to consider when I was informed that Sondheim has never had a show run more than 1000 performances on Broadway. So that made me think about who has had the most. 

The first person I thought was Andrew Lloyd Webber, but at a quick glance I only count three, Evita, Cats, and Phantom (although I didn't look at all of his shows, only the ones I knew were successful) 

My second was Harvey Fierstein, who has had Newsies, La Cage, Torch Song Trilogy, and Kinky Boots all run over 1000 (plus Hairspray, which he ghostwrote but he isn't credited as a writer on) 

Does anybody know of any book writer, composer, or lyricist who can lay claim to more than 4 or 5 shows that ran more than 1000 performances on Broadway? 

[leefowler]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 10:31pm

I’ve had 5, but I’m only a lowly dance arranger.

[starlightexpress2]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 10:36pm

Maybe Richard Rodgers? Oklahoma, Sound of Music, South Pacific, King and I?

Updated On: 4/3/24 at 10:36 PM

[BeingAlive44Ever]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 11:22pm

leefowler said: "I’ve had 5, but I’m only a lowly dance arranger."

So cool when actual Broadway people are on here

I hope you know that I don't at all mean to undermine contributions of other creatives, and you're very important too! It's a collaborative thing. Writing a show that runs a long time is just different because being repeatedly successful as a writer is indicative specifically of being able to structure shows in a marketable and sustainable way, which is a very interesting thing to consider for the authors of shows. Dancing is very important too, of course. And music arrangement. I bet Seth Rudetsky has played in the pit of like 14 thousand+ shows

starlightexpress2 said: "Maybe Richard Rodgers? Oklahoma, Sound of Music, South Pacific, King and I?"

That one is very probable. Bravo! I can't believe I didn't think of that. I wonder if any individual show has had multiple 1000+ runs? I bet, if any have, it's a Richard Rodgers show. 

[IdinaBellFoster]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 11:32pm

Stephen Schwartz had had three - PIPPIN, THE MAGIC SHOW, and WICKED.

If you count choreographers, Bob Fosse had four - THE PAJAMA GAME, DAMN YANKEES, HOW TO SUCCEED…, and PIPPIN.

[dan94]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 11:42pm

Neil Simon has to be up there. They're Playing Our Song, Promises Promises, Plaza Suite, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Barefoot in the Park. If you wanted to include his doctoring of A Chorus Line that would make 6.

If you were including Directors and Choreographers it would probably be Fosse who arguably has 7 shows where his work was represented.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 11:44pm

Andrew Lloyd Webber had a fourth show to break 1000 performances, School of Rock (31 previews, 1309 performances). The original production of Sunset Boulevard missed the mark by just barely 3 weeks, closing with 977 regular performances.

[The8re phan]

Posted: 4/4/24 at 9:14am

Boublil and Schönberg, Michael Bennett, Lin Manuel Miranda (maybe not the most, but each with 2 of the most notable.....)

Jerry Herman

Alan Menken

Elton John
 

 

 

 

Updated On: 4/4/24 at 09:14 AM

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 4/4/24 at 11:30am

Would we count shows that included music by certain composers? For instance, Schwartz has Pippin, Magic Show and Wicked but then also had some of his music included in Fosse. So technically you could say he has 4 1000-performance shows.

[The8re phan]

Posted: 4/4/24 at 12:15pm

Broadway61004 said: "Would we count shows that included music by certain composers? For instance, Schwartz has Pippin, Magic Show and Wicked but then also had some of his music included in Fosse. So technically you could say he has 4 1000-performance shows."

By including that, surely Kander & Ebb would rightfully qualify as well --- Cabaret (2 different productions, each playing 1000+ perfs on Broadway), Chicago, and Fosse

Updated On: 4/4/24 at 12:15 PM

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 4/4/24 at 12:33pm

leefowler said: "I’ve had 5, but I’m only a lowly dance arranger."

Music arrangers are one of the most undervalued contributors to musical theatre. Bless you, and keep up the good work.

[dan94]

Posted: 4/4/24 at 12:41pm

Abe Burrows has Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed, Cactus Flower, and the 1992 Guys and Dolls revival. Add in that Can Can was only a couple months short of a thousand - not too terrible.

Peter Schaffer has 2, Equus and Amadeus, on the list. His twin brother Anthony has Sleuth. A pretty impressive heritage of writing long running plays.

Can we also give special mention "Sing Sing Sing" which made it into Contact, Dancin, and Fosse which all ran over a thousand?

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 4/4/24 at 1:58pm

The8re phan said: "By including that, surely Kander & Ebb would rightfully qualify as well --- Cabaret (2 different productions, each playing 1000+ perfs on Broadway), Chicago, and Fosse"

Definitely. And I agree there's a big difference between writing 4 different shows and having your music incorporated in different revues and/or revivals. But just another interesting thing to look at.

[Penna2]

Posted: 4/4/24 at 3:51pm

The first composers that came to mind were Rodgers and Hammerstein. Rodgers worked alone as well as with Lorenz Hart. Hammerstein worked with Jerome Kern. I would imagine lumping all those combined would easily top the chart. Also, I'm not sure how many shows he wrote and were produced but Cole Porter might be a contender.

Updated On: 4/4/24 at 03:51 PM

[Jarethan]

Posted: 4/4/24 at 4:37pm

Penna2 said: "The first composers that came to mind were Rodgers and Hammerstein. Rodgers worked alone as well as with Lorenz Hart. Hammerstein worked with Jerome Kern. I would imagine lumping all those combined would easily top the chart. Also, I'm not sure how many shows he wrote and were produced but Cole Porter might be a contender."

Musicals didn’t run that long in Porter’s heyday.  KISS Me Kate is it.

Howard Prince had Cabaret, Evita, Phantom as director.  I don’t think there is anything else.  
 

if this was London, ALW would have Joseph, JC Superstar, Evita, Cats, Starlight Express, Phantom and Sunset Blvd.  I am thinking that most played more than 2,000 perfs and a number more than 3,000.

[Penna2]

Posted: 4/4/24 at 7:17pm

Jarethan said: "Penna2 said: "The first composers that came to mind were Rodgers and Hammerstein. Rodgers worked alone as well as with Lorenz Hart. Hammerstein worked with Jerome Kern. I would imagine lumping all those combined would easily top the chart. Also, I'm not sure how many shows he wrote and were produced but Cole Porter might be a contender."

Musicals didn’t run that long in Porter’s heyday. KISS Me Kate is it.

Yeah, I did wonder about Porter - was thinking of KMK and Anything Goes.

I don't know about 1000 show runs, but I did a little research and for shows in general Rodgers wrote 6 alone, 11 major shows with Hammerstein, and 21 with Hart (I'm guessing most of these were short runs, although Pal Joey has been reborn a number of times).

This would give Hammerstein 12 major shows since he wrote Showboat with Jerome Kern.

 

Updated On: 4/4/24 at 07:17 PM

[The8re phan]

Posted: 4/4/24 at 7:22pm

Penna2 said: "I don't know about 1000 show runs, but I did a little research and for shows in general Rodgers wrote 6 alone, 15 with Hammerstein, and 21 with Hart."

and 1 with Sondheim, thou it didn't run anywhere near 1000 performances either, LOL!

Updated On: 4/4/24 at 07:22 PM

[Penna2]

Posted: 4/4/24 at 7:37pm

The8re phan said: "Penna2 said: "I don't know about 1000 show runs, but I did a little research and for shows in general Rodgers wrote 6 alone, 15 with Hammerstein, and 21 with Hart."

and 1 with Sondheim, thou it didn't run anywhere near 1000 performances either, LOL!"

I was just impressed with the sheer volume of his work when I looked into it - even shows that didn't meet the 1000 performance mark. Music just flowed through him. I don't think a day goes by when I'm not singing or humming one of his songs just for my own pleasure.

[The8re phan]

Posted: 4/4/24 at 7:41pm

Penna2 said: "The8re phan said: "Penna2 said: "I don't know about 1000 show runs, but I did a little research and for shows in general Rodgers wrote 6 alone, 15 with Hammerstein, and 21 with Hart."

and 1 with Sondheim, thou it didn't run anywhere near 1000 performances either, LOL!"

I was just impressed with the sheer volume of his work when I looked into it - even shows that didn't meet the 1000 performance mark. Music just flowed through him. I don't think a day goes by when I'm not singing or humming one of his songs just for my own pleasure."

Same here...... he's worked with so many, and on SO MANY shows!!

 

 

[BeingAlive44Ever]

Posted: 4/4/24 at 10:20pm

I'm very pleased with all of these people here discussing this! I think the reason I immediately thought of ALW and Harvey is because they are very famously great at marketing shows to wide audiences, and everybody know that even when they don't like them

I think that what we forget as Broadway people is that some of the creatives we all consider the best just kind of don't have a lot of very successful and mainstream shows. But Rodgers and Hammerstein definitely do. Shame on me for not considering them. Shows didn't run nearly as long back in their prime, though.