Broadway By the Numbers - The Longest Runners

With the news that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child just became the third longest-running play in Broadway history, I was curious about other long-running shows. I mean we all know about The Phantom of the Opera and the current revival of Chicago, but what about others?

Broadway By the Numbers:

The Longest Runners

The most surprising thing to me was the fact that over the years and thousands of productions there are only 127 shows that have played 1,000 performances or more!

NOTE: For the rest of these stats, I only considered the 100 longest-running shows as of August 31, 2025.

• The first Broadway show to reach 1,000 performances was a play from 1918 called Lightnin', which played a total of 1,291 shows.
• The bottom spot is currently a tie between the original production of Cabaret and & Juliet, both with 1,165 performances. (By the time you read this, & Juliet will be #99 and climbing, with Cabaret a solid #100.)
• Of the 100 productions: 5 are Musical Revivals, 21 are Plays, and 74 are Musicals.
• 42 won either the Best Play, Best Musical or Best Revival Tony Awards.
• 12 were not Tony Award eligible.

The 1910s - 1 Top 100

    Longest Running: #86: Lightnin' 1,291 performances (play)

The 1920s - 1 Top 100

    Longest Running: #34: Abie's Irish Rose 2,327 performances (play)

The 1930s - 3 Top 100

    Longest Running: #20: Life With Father 3,224 performances (play)

The 1940s - 7 Top 100

    Longest Running: #36: Oklahoma! 2,212 performances (musical)

The 1950s - 6 Top 100

    Longest Running: #23: My Fair Lady 2,717 performances (musical)

The 1960s - 14 Top 100

    Longest Running: #19: Fiddler on the Roof 3,242 performances (musical)

The 1970s - 18 Top 100

    Longest Running: #7: A Chorus Line 6,137 performances (musical)

The 1980s - 8 Top 100

    Longest Running: #1: The Phantom of the Opera 13,981 performances (musical)

The 1990s - 11 Top 100

    Longest Running: #6: Chicago 11,329 performances (musical revival)*

The 2000s - 15 Top 100

    Longest Running: #3: Wicked 8,490 performances (musical)*

The 2010s - 13 Top 100

    Longest Running: #11: The Book of Mormon 5,343 performances (musical)*

The 2020s - 3 Top 100

    Longest Running: #65: Six 1,618 performances (musical)*

* - still running

Broadway Quiz: 50 Questions For 50 Years of A Chorus Line

Broadway Quiz:

50 Questions For 

50 Years of A Chorus Line

50 years ago, A Chorus Line opened on Broadway and the rest is history. To celebrate, here's a little quiz. There's a bit of something for everyone - from Line novice to Line expert. (The skill level of the questions is mixed up.) Good luck!

1. The original production began life at:

   A. The Shubert Theatre   B. The Public Theater   C. Playwright's Horizon

2. The original Broadway production opened at:

   A. The Shubert Theatre   B. The Majestic Theatre   D. The Broadhurst Theatre

3. TRUE or FALSE: A Chorus Line won the 1975 Tony Award for Best Musical.

4. TRUE or FALSE: A Chorus Line was the first musical to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

5. TRUE or FALSE: The original production of A Chorus Line won 9 Tony Awards.

6. TRUE or FALSE: The original production of A Chorus Line won every Tony Award it was nominated for.

7.  At the end of the opening number, how many dancers are holding up their head shots?

   A. 15  B. 16  C. 17  D. 19

8. Who sings the number "I Can Do That"?

   A. Mike   B. Larry   C. Zach   D. Paul

9. When Val swiped her dance card after an audition, what was the score on it?

   A. Dance: 7, Looks: 3   B. Dance: 3, Looks: 10   C. Dance: 10, Looks: 3

10. Who was Diana Morales' drama teacher that made her feel "Nothing"?

   A. Mr. Cox   B. Mr. Bennett   C. Miss Lopez   D. Mr. Carp   E. Mrs. Bishop

11. What are the dancers auditioning for?

   A. a new Broadway musical

   B. a national tour

   C. a TV special

   D. a cruise ship musical

12. "One" is the finale of A Chorus Line, but what is that number really supposed to be?

   A. the opening number of a new Broadway musical

   B. the number in a Broadway musical about the star of the show

   C. a number that was cut from a national tour

13. "What if I'm next? What if I'm next?" is from what song?

   A. "I Hope I Get It"

   B. "What I did For Love"

   C. "And..."

   D. "Nothing"

14. The assistant director/choreographer in A Chorus Line is a character named:

   A. Zach   B. Bob   C. Michael   D. Larry

15. Who is the 4'10" former cheerleader on the line

   A. Christine   B. Connie   C. Diana   D. Mark

16. Who, as a kid, turned to the church when he thought he had gonorrhea?

   A. Don   B. Al   C. Bobby   D. Mark

17. All of the following sing "At the Ballet" EXCEPT:

   A. Sheila   B. Bebe   C.  Maggie   D. Connie

18. TRUE or FALSE: Paul was performing in a drag show when his parents discover what kind of dancer he was.

19. TRUE or FALSE: Richie was going to be a basketball player instead of a dancer.

20. TRUE or FALSE: In the opening number, the boy in the headband struggled to keep the tempo of the number with the rest of the dancers.

21. Zach had a previous personal (and physical) relationship with:

   A. Greg   B. Sheila   C. Cassie  D. Val

22. "Give me a chance to come through!" is from which song?

   A. "Dance: 10, Looks, 3"   B. "I Hope I Get It"   C. "Nothing"   D. "The Music and the Mirror"

 

23. Who is the only married couple on the line?

   A. Paul and Diana   B. Bobby and Greg   C. Al and Kristine   D. Don and Connie

24. When the show opened, it took place "Now." What year was that?

   A. 1975   B. 1985   C. 1965   D. 1974

25. When A Chorus Line became the longest-running show in Broadway history, which show did it overtake?

   A. Hello, Dolly!   B. My Fair Lady   C. Grease   D. Life with Father

26. TRUE or FALSE: Donna McKechnie was once married to Michael Bennett.

27. TRUE or FALSE: A Class Act is a musical about Edward Kleban, lyricist of A Chorus Line.

28. TRUE or FALSE: Priscilla Lopez was nominated for, but did not win, a Tony Award for her performance as Diana Morales.

29. TRUE or FALSE:  Though uncredited, Neil Simon helped doctor the book of the show, including having Cassie get chosen for a role in the new show.

30. In addition to A Chorus Line, Marvin Hamlisch wrote the scores for all of these Broadway shows EXCEPT:

   A. Ballroom   B. They're Playing Our Song   C. Smile   D. The Goodbye Girl

31. Which dancer made it to the line, but didn't finish the audition?

   A. Don   B. Val   C. Paul   D. Mark

32. Finish the lyrics: "Kiss today goodbye..."

   A. ..."the gift was ours to borrow"

   B. ..."don't forget, don't regret what I did for love"

   C. ..."and point me toward tomorrow"

33. In acting class, Diana had to act like each of the following EXCEPT:

   A. riding a bobsled

   B. a chair

   C. a table

   D. an ice cream cone

34. In "I Can Do That," how did Mike get his sister's tap shoes to fit?

   A. He couldn't so he danced with tacks on the bottom of his sneakers.

   B. He stuffed her shoes with balled up newspaper.

   C. He couldn't, so he borrowed some from another boy in the class.

   D. He stuffed her shoes with extra socks.

35. TRUE or FALSE: The original production moved to a smaller theater toward the end of its run.

36. TRUE or FALSE: It is Al who can't sing.

37. TRUE or FALSE: A Chorus Line is meant to be performed without an intermission.

38. TRUE or FALSE: A Chorus Line is meant to be performed without a curtain call.

39. Which character worked at a strip joint?

   A. Don   B. Mike   C. Greg   D. Bobby

40. Which song is this lyric from: "loaded with charisma is my jauntily sauntering, ambling shambler"?

   A. "Hello, Twelve, Hello, Thirteen, Goodbye Love"

   B. "Nothing"

   C. "Dance: Ten, Looks: Three"

   D. "One"

41. TRUE or FALSE: Despite being a cultural icon, A Chorus Line was never a part of the "I ❤ NY" commercial campaign.

42. TRUE or FALSE: Terrence Mann played Larry in the film version, a part he also played on Broadway.

43. TRUE or FALSE: Although she played Cassie in the Broadway revival, Charlotte d'Amboise was never in the original Broadway run.

44. TRUE or FALSE: Ann Reinking appeared in the original Broadway productions of both A Chorus Line AND Chicago.

45. TRUE or FALSE: At one time there was an overture written for A Chorus Line, but it was never used.

46. What show took the title of "Longest-running Show in Broadway History" from A Chorus Line?

   A. Cats   B. Les Miserables   C. Oh! Calcutta!   D. The Phantom of the Opera

47. What was "up a steep and very narrow stairway?"

   A. the rehearsal room   B. a ballet class   C. the star dressing room

48. A Chorus Line is:

   A. based on an unfilmed sequel to the movie All About Eve.

   B. based on recorded sessions of Broadway dancers gathered to tell their stories.

   C. based on the life of director/choreographer Michael Bennett

   D. based on a series of articles by Walter Kerr that appeared in Backstage Magazine.

49. Who says, "Can we smoke? Can the adults please smoke?

   A. Maggie   B. Cassie   C. Diana   D. Sheila 

50. The song "The Music and The Mirror" features how many dancers?

   A. 4   B. 3   C. 1   D. 1, but the entire company is in the background

STOP HERE

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Keep scrolling for the answers...

1. The original production began life at:

   B. The Public Theater

2. The original Broadway production opened at:

   A. The Shubert Theatre   

3. FALSE: A Chorus Line won the 1975 Tony Award for Best Musical. (It won in 1976.)

4. FALSE: A Chorus Line was the first musical to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. (There were several before, including Of Thee I Sing, Fiorello!, South Pacific and How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying!)

5. TRUE: The original production of A Chorus Line won 9 Tony Awards.

6. FALSE: The original production of A Chorus Line won every Tony Award it was nominated for. (It was nominated for 12, and it lost 3.)

7.  At the end of the opening number, how many dancers are holding up their head shots?

   C. 17

8. Who sings the number "I Can Do That"?

   A. Mike

9. When Val swiped her dance card after an audition, what was the score on it?

   C. Dance: 10, Looks: 3

10. Who was Diana Morales' drama teacher that made her feel "Nothing"?

   D. Mr. Carp

11. What are the dancers auditioning for?

   A. a new Broadway musical

12. "One" is the finale of A Chorus Line, but what is that number really supposed to be?

   B. the number in a Broadway musical about the star of the show

13. "What if I'm next? What if I'm next?" is from what song?

   C. "And..."

14. The assistant director/choreographer in A Chorus Line is a character named:

   D. Larry

15. Who is the 4'10" former cheerleader on the line

   B. Connie

16. Who, as a kid, turned to the church when he thought he had gonorrhea?

   D. Mark

17. All of the following sing "At the Ballet" EXCEPT:

   D. Connie

18. TRUE: Paul was performing in a drag show when his parents discover what kind of dancer he was.

19. FALSE: Richie was going to be a basketball player instead of a dancer. (He was going to be a kindergarten teacher.)

20. FALSE: In the opening number, the boy in the headband struggled to keep the tempo of the number with the rest of the dancers. (He struggled to keep his head up.)

21. Zach had a previous personal (and physical) relationship with:

   C. Cassie

22. "Give me a chance to come through!" is from which song?

   D. "The Music and the Mirror"

 

23. Who is the only married couple on the line?

   C. Al and Kristine

24. When the show opened, it took place "Now." What year was that?

   A. 1975

25. When A Chorus Line became the longest-running show in Broadway history, which show did it overtake?

C. Grease

26. TRUE: Donna McKechnie was once married to Michael Bennett.

27. TRUE: A Class Act is a musical about Edward Kleban, lyricist of A Chorus Line.

28. TRUE: Priscilla Lopez was nominated for, but did not win, a Tony Award for her performance as Diana Morales.

29. TRUE:  Though uncredited, Neil Simon helped doctor the book of the show, including having Cassie get chosen for a role in the new show.

30. In addition to A Chorus Line, Marvin Hamlisch wrote the scores for all of these Broadway shows EXCEPT:

   A. Ballroom 

31. Which dancer made it to the line, but didn't finish the audition?

   C. Paul

32. Finish the lyrics: "Kiss today goodbye..."

   C. ..."and point me toward tomorrow"

33. In acting class, Diana had to act like each of the following EXCEPT:

   B. a chair

34. In "I Can Do That," how did Mike get his sister's tap shoes to fit?

   D. He stuffed her shoes with extra socks.

35. FALSE: The original production moved to a smaller theater toward the end of its run. (It never played anywhere but the Shubert Theatre.)

36. FALSE: It is Al who can't sing. (His wife, Kristine, couldn't sing.)

37. TRUE: A Chorus Line is meant to be performed without an intermission.

38. TRUE: A Chorus Line is meant to be performed without a curtain call.

39. Which character worked at a strip joint?

   A. Don

40. Which song is this lyric from: "loaded with charisma is my jauntily sauntering, ambling shambler"?

   D. "One"

41. FALSE: Despite being a cultural icon, A Chorus Line was never a part of the "I ❤ NY" commercial campaign. (It was actually in the first Broadway themed ads for that campaign.)

42. FALSE: Terrence Mann played Larry in the film version, a part he also played on Broadway. (He never appeared in ACL on Broadway.)

43. TRUE: Although she played Cassie in the Broadway revival, Charlotte d'Amboise was never in the original Broadway run.

44. TRUE: Ann Reinking appeared in the original Broadway productions of both A Chorus Line AND Chicago. (She was a replacement Cassie and a replacement Roxie.)

45. TRUE: At one time there was an overture written for A Chorus Line, but it was never used.

46. What show took the title of "Longest-running Show in Broadway History" from A Chorus Line?

   A. Cats

47. What was "up a steep and very narrow stairway?"

   B. a ballet class

48. A Chorus Line is:

   B. based on recorded sessions of Broadway dancers gathered to tell their stories.

49. Who says, "Can we smoke? Can the adults please smoke?

   D. Sheila 

50. The song "The Music and The Mirror" features how many dancers?

   C. 1   

Happy 50th, A Chorus Line!

Happy 50th, A Chorus Line

"The characters portrayed in A CHORUS LINE are, for the most part, based upon the lives of Broadway dancers. This show is dedicated to anyone who has ever danced in a chorus or marched in step...anywhere."

*****************

It was the spring of 1981 when A Chorus Line came into my life for the first time. It had arrived in Baltimore for what was probably the third or fourth time, but for me it was brand new. My best high school friend, Katie, had invited me to go with her and her brother, Richard, when her mom couldn't go. I was fresh off my first experience being in a musical, and my life was consumed with devouring all things Broadway. So, of course I said, "Yes!" (Actually, I'm pretty sure I screamed it...) And off we went.

To say it changed my life is a vast understatement. Oh, growing up, I was taken to shows regularly, and I enjoyed it. But A Chorus Line was the first time I felt a show deep inside my heart and mind. I remember the lights going down and seeing the cast enter the stage in the darkness in lines, and holding hands, arms stretched. Simultaneously, they dropped hands with a soft pat sound. They were uniformly spaced. Those famous first notes played and a voice called out, "Again! A 5-6-7-8!" The lights came up; the music blasted. I was swept away. I may have felt like I was the only one in that theater, I don't know. Next thing I know, I am standing (along with several hundred other people), tears pouring down my face as the gold clad cast members kicked in unison until the lights slowly faded and they were gone.

I didn't know a show could move me to tears of absolute joy until that moment. I hastily wiped my face as I fumbled with my jacket, embarrassed that Katie's brother might see. I heard him behind me saying something to Katie, who promptly dashed up the aisle leaving us standing there together. He looked me in the eye and said, "I cry every time I see it, too." He chuckled as I must have looked so relieved, and spontaneously hugged him tightly. I didn't care who saw me. I was proud of my tear-stained cheeks now, and the friend that told me my feelings were valid. As we made our way out of the theater, I saw Katie waiting by the door with something in her hand, which she gave to me as soon as I was close enough. "This is from Ricky and me," she said, "to thank you for sharing our favorite show with us." It was a souvenir program. I still have it.

People often ask me - including some of you reading this - why is this my absolute favorite? Well, I could say I love the score. I mean I know every note and lyric by heart, and literally wore out two copies of the OBCR on vinyl. I could say that I love to watch dancers dance, and boy, do I! Or that it is funny, kinda bitchy, and really dramatic. All of that is true. But I guess it really comes down to two things: the universality of the piece, and seeing myself in the characters.

The marvel and artistry of James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante's book, and Edward Kleban's lyrics is that they are so detailed and specific (and many notably taken word-for-word from Michael Bennett's now famous "Dancer Tapes") that they drive the plot and fill in characters so perfectly. And yet, that specificity reveals universal truths about all humans - hopes, dreams, disappointments, upbringing, passion for something bigger than yourself, love...identity. Today, we call on the phrase "representation matters." A Chorus Line embodied that ideal, and it was "woke" before "woke" was a thing, and certainly before the term was bastardized to what it means to some today.

I am nowhere near a dancer, let alone a professional one. But I know what it is to work so hard for something you really want, and to get it. And not get it. And I've never been a 4'10" Asian cheerleader, but I know what it feels like to be pigeon-holed into things because of how I look. I remember the abject terror of my first wet dream and not knowing what was happening, And unfortunately, I know what it is to feel absolutely nothing about a situation that everything and everyone around tells me I should be sad about.

A Chorus Line was also the very first time I ever saw gay men portrayed in any serious fashion, and in a variety of personalities. Here again, the specific details of those characters didn't directly correlate to my then-15 year old experience. I mean, I never broke into people's homes and rearranged their furniture, but I have my odd, gay quirks, and a desire to be noticed, not ignored by my father. I, too, went to the movies and secretly paid close attention to every detail of the attractive men in them.

Then there's Paul and his iconic monologue. By today's standards it has no shock value, and the idea of parents loving their kid enough to accept them is downright quaint and dated. Every time I see it performed, my mind flashes back to 15 year old me, deep in the closet, terrified I'll be found out and disowned. In 1975 - and 1981 - it was a huge deal. It was cathartic to watch him relive that trauma right in front of me, and feeling, with him, the relief of letting it out into the world. Today, being LGBTQ+ is ingrained in pop culture that that monologue probably barely registers as more than a breather between dance numbers. I suppose it's ultimately a good thing that it generally doesn't make an emotional dent like it used to. But I guarantee that in every single audience that ever sees it, there's at least one kid who lives deep inside his or her own private hell scared and waiting to be found out. Dated, maybe, but timeless, too.

It's funny how A Chorus Line pops up in my life regularly. These days it's celebrating this momentous occasion. Sometimes, I'll hear a song from it, or more often, someone in real life or on TV will say something almost directly from a lyric or a bit of dialogue. Lately, I smile when I read about the Hadestown "gasp," and not just because I gasped when I saw it, but because it always reminds me of the audience gasp when Zach selects the dancers he's hiring, calling out their names, then dismissing them to hire the names he didn't call. And then there's the pleasure I get from seeing various cast members in things. Over the years, I've gotten to see many original cast members, including Baayork Lee and Tony-winners Donna McKechnie and the late Sammy Williams play Connie, Cassie and Paul, respectively. And I've marveled at art imitating life, with Wayne Cilento (Mike) as both a dancer and choreographer - his work on the original The Who's Tommy, Wicked, and the revival of Bob Fosse's Dancin' was inspiring. Most recently, it was an honor to see Priscilla Lopez (Diana) in The Gardens of Anuncia. They are but a few. 

And, so, as the show looks forward to its next 50 years, one hopes it will continue to change lives. A new revival would be ideal, and I think with the right director and maybe a book writer to polish it up for more modern sensibilities could be very interesting. Or not. Broadway revival history is littered with revivals of shows so beloved in their original form that changes made them totally flop (West Side Story and Fiddler on the Roof come to mind.) Either way, I think we could use a new production in the Theatre District.

Over the years, I've seen dozens of A Chorus Line productions at all levels. I'm pretty sure I've seen it more times than any other show in the last four plus decades. And while I now have a long list of shows I adore, it is still the one that is my absolute favorite. One singular sensation, indeed.