UPDATE: WICKED to Become 6th Longest-Running Show in Broadway History

[BroadwayConcierge]

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/WICKED-Surpasses-MAMMA-MIA-as-8th-Longest-Running-Show-in-Broadway-History-20170814

Exciting news!

[broadwaysfguy]

long live Wicked!

Just saw it three weeks ago for  Jackie Burns first night back

the franchise is in great hands (and vocal chords)

[neonlightsxo]

Joe, Lisa, and the rest of the team deserve a huge amount of credit for what great shape this show is in this far down the road. It's truly remarkable, IMO.

[raddersons]

While definitely not my favorite show, Wicked deserves this way more than Mamma Mia! At this point, Wicked is a staple. Congrats guys.

[ashley0139]

Oh, Calcutta! seems rather out of place with the rest of that list.

[SomethingPeculiar]

And WICKED will surpass A CHORUS LINE in less than a year!

Perhaps they'll all perform "One" at the curtain call like LES MIS did when it became #1?

[green waver]

ashley0139 said: "Oh, Calcutta! seems rather out of place with the rest of that list.

 

Absolutely. For years, the explanation for its long run was, cryptically, always given as "foreign tourists", I have no idea if there's any truth to that.

 

[adamgreer]

Amazing that the top three will likely remain unchanged (because they're all still running) for years. 

[Jarethan]

BroadwayConcierge said: "https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/WICKED-Surpasses-MAMMA-MIA-as-8th-Longest-Running-Show-in-Broadway-History-20170814

Exciting news! Following this Wednesday night, the longest-running Broadway shows will be as follows: 

1. The Phantom of the Opera

2. Chicago

3. The Lion King

4. Cats

5. Les Misérables

6. A Chorus Line

7. Oh, Calcutta!

8. Wicked

9. Mamma Mia!

10. Beauty and the Beast

11. Rent

12. Jersey Boys

13. Miss Saigon

14. 42nd Street

15. Grease

(And, for what it's worth, it'll be another ~200 performances before Wicked takes the #7 slot, which should occur around early March 2018.) 

 

The sooner Oh! Calcutta! and Grease disappear from the list, the better.  While I hate Cats, I know that is not likely to happen in my lifetime (I am 66).

 

[green waver]

Taking a rooting interest in the relative length of a show's run seems a bit odd.

[BroadwayNYC2]

I will say, now that its closed, I miss Mamma Mia. 

[BroadwayConcierge]

UPDATE: Wicked is set to take the 7th longest-running slot tomorrow night!

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Defying-Gravity-and-the-Odds-WICKED-to-Become-7th-Longest-Running-Broadway-Show-in-History-20180208

After Friday, the longest-running Broadway shows will be as follows: 

1. The Phantom of the Opera

2. Chicago

3. The Lion King

4. Cats

5. Les Misérables

6. A Chorus Line

7. Wicked

8. Oh, Calcutta!

9. Mamma Mia!

10. Beauty and the Beast

11. Rent

12. Jersey Boys

13. Miss Saigon

14. 42nd Street

15. Grease

(And, for what it's worth, it'll be another ~175 performances before Wicked takes the #6 slot from A Chorus Line, which should occur around August of this year.) 

[jkstheatrescene]

green waver said: "Taking a rooting interest in the relative length of a show's run seems a bit odd."

I agree.  Odd, but at least it's harmless.

[BroadwayConcierge]

I mean, for me, it's not the show specifically—I'm just really interested in Broadway history. I think every time a show shifts on the list is really cool. But there are people who find negativity in everything, I guess...

[broadwaysfguy]

im with you concierge-im fascinated with the longest running list and excited to see WIcked, which is a wonderful musical that was treated very poorly by borh critics and the awards community, keeps chugging along. it will go all the way to at least 3 as i think chicago will close, and could join phantom and lion king as shows that run “forever”
i saw it last fall with jackie burns and the show is still terrific.

i saw book of mormon on tour last night and got my tix for the hamilton sitdown in sf next feb and could also see these two shows on this list in several years....

[Phantom4ever]

I think these lists are fascinating and I love keeping up with them. Wish there was an app for that lol. 

I remember thinking that Chorus Line's run was so untouchable and that magic number of 6,137 performances would never be beaten. It's so hard to fathom that Wicked, a show that seemed like it opened yesterday, is now fast approaching that number. But it also makes you think of the time that has gone by. There are shows whose runs mirror important milestones in my life--Wicked, Book of Mormon for example. When I think of how long I've lived in a certain place or how long I've had a certain job or how long it's been since this milestone happened, I tend to think of it as "oh I've been doing this since Wicked opened" or "my niece has been alive as long as BOM has been running".  Is that weird??? 

This is one of my favorite articles to read about this subject:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Broadway_shows_that_have_held_the_title_of_longest-running_show

So interesting to see when shows took over the lead for longest running show. 

[SomethingPeculiar]

In less than 2 years, Wicked will also surpass Les Miz, and 2 years after that it could pass CATS. (And Lion King becomes #2 a year after Chicago closes.)

After Wicked it gets tricky since the next longest-running currently-running shows are Book of Mormon, Kinky Boots, Beautiful, Aladdin, and then Hamilton. Eventually, Ham, Mormon, and maybe Aladdin will probably make the top-15 list (or higher).

[antonijan]

When is Oh, Calcutta's revival

[GoblinKing2]

Finally being back in New York after a couple of years, I had to see Jackie to continue my string of seeing the longest running Elphabas (my last two trips I've seen Ms. Verkaik and Tucker).  She was terrific and the crowd loved her.  Admittedly my experience is limited compared to others, but based on what I saw, she deserves her status as Broadway's longest running Elphaba.  If she's still with the show when I come back in April, I plan to see her again, although I'd love to see Jessica Vosk from everything I've heard about her..    

[hamiltonstradition]

GoblinKing2 said: "Finally being back in New York after a couple of years, I had to see Jackie to continue my string of seeing the longest running Elphabas (my last two trips I've seen Ms. Verkaik and Tucker). She was terrific and the crowd loved her. Admittedly my experience is limited compared to others, but based on what I saw, she deserves her status as Broadway's longest running Elphaba.If she's still with the show when I come back in April, I plan to see her again, although I'd love to see Jessica Vosk from everything I've heard about her.. "

she’s with the show until atleast may, probably July. 

 

[GoblinKing2]

hamiltonstradition said: " she’s with the show until at least may, probably July
"

Guess I know where I’m going to be that first Tuesday night back in town!

[BroadwayConcierge]

UPDATE: Just realized that this week, Wicked will play its 6,138th performance on Broadway, officially overcoming A Chorus Line to become the 6th longest-running show in Broadway history!

It will then take another ~540 performances to take the #5 slot from the original production of Les Miz, but what a huge milestone!

[Elegance101]

Wow, and they'll easily become the 5th in a year and a half or so. That's so cool!

Congrats!

[TheSassySam]

Do you think the likes of Hamilton, Book of Mormon, Kinky Boots, Aladdin, School of Rock and Beautiful have a chance at cracking the top 10? 

My guesses would be Hamilton, Book of Mormon and Aladdin. 

[DottieD'Luscia]

Wow, I remember when A Chorus Line played it's final performance on Broadway.  Such a milestone indeed.