Around the World in 80 Musicals: Part I: The United Kingdom and Ireland

Today, we begin a new series, Around the World in 80 Musicals. Over the next several weeks, we will take a brief look at 80 different musicals that take place in different parts of the world. The results cover 6 continents and dozens of countries. The data comes from The Playbill Vault and Internet Broadway Database, and details the original Broadway production. Many of the shows take place in multiple countries, but (for the most part) we include them under their primary setting. In limiting it to 80 shows, obviously some favorites are going to be left out. We'd love to hear from you with your favorites that we missed. Get your passports ready!

Around the World in 80 Musicals

Stop One: Europe: The United Kingdom and Ireland

ENGLAND

Blood Brothers

1. Billy Elliot: The Musical - Setting: Northern England, 1984 (2008, Imperial Theatre, 1,312 performances)

2. Blood Brothers - Setting: Liverpool, England (1993, The Music Box Theater, 840 performances)

3. Jekyll and Hyde - Setting: East End and West End of London, 19th Century (1997, Plymouth Theatre, 1,543 performances)

The Last Ship

4. Kinky Boots - Setting: Northampton, England (2013, Al Hirschfeld Theatre, 3,006 performances*)

5. The Last Ship - Setting: Wallsend, England (2014, Neil Simon Theatre, 105 performances)

6. Matilda - Setting: England (2013, Shubert Theatre, 1,554 performances)

My Fair Lady

7. My Fair Lady - Setting: London, 1912 (1956, Mark Hellinger Theatre, 2,717 performances)

8. The Mystery of Edwin Drood - Rochester (Cloisterham) and London, 1830s (1985, Imperial Theatre, 608 performances)

9. Oliver! - London, 1830s (1963, Imperial Theatre, 774 performances)

Titanic

10. The Secret Garden - Yorkshire, early 1900s (1991, St. James Theatre, 709 performances)

11. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street - London, 19th Century (1979, Uris Theatre, 557 performances)

12. Titanic - Southampton, April 1912 (1997, Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, 804 performances)

WALES

13. A Time For Singing - Setting: South Wales, 1900 (1966, Broadway Theatre, 41 performances)

SCOTLAND

14. Brigadoon - Scottish Highlands (1947, Ziegfeld Theatre, 581 performances)

IRELAND

Once

15. Once - Dublin, Ireland (2012, Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, 1,168 performances)

16. The Pirate Queen - Ireland, 16th Century (2007, Hilton Theatre, 85 performances)

* - as of 10/14/18 (still running)

Next stop: France, Spain and Portugal!

#1918