Longest Running Musicals in The West End and on Broadway

London and New York City are famed for Broadway and West End theatre production, which plays an important role in the entertainment status of both cities and draws in millions of visitors each year. The West End and Broadway are in a league of their own when it comes to box office receipts on shows and here is a list of the longest running musicals that span the Atlantic which shows how much Londoners and New Yorkers love their theatre.

The list shows in order the number of shows performed of each production in London or New York but does not correspond to the value of box office receipts.

1. Les Miserables - since 1985 in The West End (>10,400 shows), since 1987 on Broadway (approx. 6680 shows)

2. The Phantom of the Opera - since 1986 in The West End (9,500 shows), since 1988 on Broadway (9,400 shows)

3. Blood Brothers - since 1983 in The West End (8,700 shows), closed on Broadway after 840 shows

4. Cats - since 1981 in The West End (8,300 shows) and Broadway (7,485 shows)

5. Starlight Express - since 1984 in The West End (7,406 shows)

6. Black and White Minstrels - 1960 in The West End (6,477 shows)

7. A Chorus Line - since 1975 on Broadway (6,137 shows)

8. Oh, Calcutta - 1976 revival in The West End ( 5,959 shows)

9. Chicago - 1996 revival on Broadway (5,700 shows) and The West End (4,900 shows)

10. Beauty and the Beast - 1994 Broadway (5,461 shows)

In my search of a video which packages up the feel of Broadway and The West End, I wound up watching this tongue in cheek crusade by Louis Theroux to shuffle his way into theatre - a little off topic but fun and may keep some people on my blog page for a little longer! Louis Theroux - the master of the cheeky and cringeworthy interview. This is just part 1 of 5 - the rest can be found on youtube.