Damien wrote: But at least Life With Father and Abie's Irish Rose still reign supreme among straight plays -- nice to have that kind of continuity at least. And it's also further evidence that it is musicals the tourists are coming to see.
This is interesting to note. If you separate out the straight plays, not only do those on the top of the list remain the same as those I found in 1964, 7 of the top 9 do as well. (Gemini and Deathtrap the only interlopers) Taking it further: I looked at the top 100 long runs (ending with Contact, just above 1000 performances). There are only 25 plays in this group (for my purposes, I considered vaudevillian efforts like Mummenschanz musicals). But a full 13 of those were already aboard in 1964. In fact, post-1980, only Brighton Beach Memoirs, Torch Song Trilogy and Amadeus have joined the group. (And Torch Song -- much as I loved it -- should, along with Gemini, have an asterisk assigned, as they played the teensy Helen Hayes Theatre, which was closer in size to some off-Broadway houses)
Musicals are a whole different story. Only 14 of the 75 in the current top 100 were listed in 1964, and a staggering 37 of them are from 1980 on. When you see things like Mary Poppins over the once-barely attainable 2000-performance mark, an indifferently received item like Aida barely below the legendary original South Pacific, and the execrable Jekyl & Hyde 100 shows ahead of The Sound of Music, you can see the degradation of the Broadway theatre in full color.
The decline in straight-play representation on the list can probably be partially attributed to the disappearance of two hardy genres -- the boulevard comedy and the thriller. The former has had representation over the decades -- from Abie's Irish Rose through Life with Father, Harvey and The Voice of the Turtle in the 40s, The Seven Year Itch in the 50s, Mary Mary and Cactus Flower in the 60s. Butterflies are Free and the early Neil Simon canon were about the last to mine this particular genre. As for the thriller, it's represented here by Angel Street and Sleuth, with The Bat a bit further down the list. But Deathtrap was pretty much the last such effort we've seen (I'd consider that lame effort enough to kill off any genre). And I guess you could say Arsenic and Old Lace represented both genres at the same time.
Yes, a lamentable list with no real meaning anymore, but to answer Reza's question, damn few. I would still like to see Glenn Close do Sunset Boulevard and maybe Miss Saigon. It would have been nice to have had big screen versions of Pippin and Applause (both done on TV); Shenandoah and the revamped No, No, Nanette (done at least twice prior to Berkely 's involvement) but their time has past. A decent big screen version of Anything Goes might have been nice and Fanny and La Cage aux Folles with their actual scores, Can-Can with the songs Porter wrote for it instead of the interpolated ones used in the film version, but none of this is going to happen.
I am looking forward to the big screen version of Les Miserables and if it ever gets going, Follies, still planned for next year but still with no announced cast. The non-musicals have mostly all been done on screen, most of them poorly.
Magilla, I, too, used to pore over these lists as a young one (I relied on the World Almanac), but now they're pretty much become meaningless. I guess the fact that over the last two decades Broadway has been more oriented to the tourist trade accounts for the longevity of more recent shows. In the past, Broadway was mainly geared to the try-State area. But at least Life With Father and Abie's Irish Rose still reign supreme among straight plays -- nice to have that kind of continuity at least. And it's also further evidence that it is musicals the tourists are coming to see.
"Y'know, that's one of the things I like about Mitt Romney. He's been consistent since he changed his mind." -- Christine O'Donnell
Big Magilla wrote:Long Runs on Broadway
By Playbill Staff
09 Oct 2011
Several current Broadway shows are in the process of breaking records on the all time long-run list. Here are the standings for number of performances of current and former Broadway shows as of October 9, 2011. The list includes all Broadway shows that have run more than 800 performances. All totals are for the original Broadway run, except where otherwise noted. Shows marked with an asterisk (*) are still running.
* "The Phantom of the Opera" 9857
"Cats" 7485
"Les Misérables" 6680
* "Chicago" (Revival) 6184
"A Chorus Line" 6137
"Oh! Calcutta!" (Revival) 5959
* "The Lion King" 5770
"Beauty and the Beast" 5461
"Rent" 5124
* "Mamma Mia!" 4134
"Miss Saigon" 4097
"42nd Street" 3486
"Grease" 3388
* "Wicked" 3291
"Fiddler on the Roof" 3242
"Life With Father" 3224
"Tobacco Road" 3182
"Hello, Dolly!" 2844
"My Fair Lady" 2717
"Hairspray" 2641
"Avenue Q" 2534
"The Producers" 2502
* "Jersey Boys" 2446
"Cabaret" (Revival) 2378
"Annie" 2377
"Man of La Mancha" 2328
"Abie's Irish Rose" 2327
"Oklahoma!" 2212
"Smokey Joe's Cafe" 2036
* "Mary Poppins" 2040
"Pippin" 1944
"South Pacific" 1925
"The Magic Show" 1920
"Aida" 1852
"Gemini" 1819
"Deathtrap" 1793
"Harvey" 1775
"Dancin'" 1774
"La Cage Aux Folles" 1761
"Hair" 1750
"The Wiz" 1672
"Born Yesterday" 1642
"The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" 1639
"Crazy for You" 1622
"Ain't Misbehavin'" 1604
"Monty Python's Spamalot" 1574
"Mary, Mary" 1572
"Evita" 1567
"The Voice of the Turtle" 1557
"Jekyll & Hyde" 1543
"Barefoot in the Park" 1530
"Brighton Beach Memoirs" 1530
"42nd Street" (Revival) 1524
"Dreamgirls" 1522
"Mame" 1508
"Grease!" (Revival) 1501
"Same Time, Next Year" 1453
"Arsenic and Old Lace" 1444
"The Sound of Music" 1443
"Me and My Girl" 1420
"How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" 1417
"Hellzapoppin" 1404
"The Music Man" 1375
"Funny Girl" 1348
"Mummenschanz" 1326
"Oh! Calcutta!" 1314
"Movin' Out" 1303
"Angel Street" 1295
"Lightnin'" 1291
"Promises, Promises" 1281
"The King and I" 1246
"Cactus Flower" 1234
"Sleuth" 1222
"Torch Song Trilogy" 1222
"1776" 1217
"Equus" 1209
* "Billy Elliot: The Musical" 1208
"Sugar Babies" 1208
"Guys and Dolls" 1200
"In the Heights" 1184
"Amadeus" 1181
"Cabaret" 1165
"Mister Roberts" 1157
"Annie Get Your Gun" 1147
"Guys and Dolls" (Revival) 1144
"The Seven Year Itch" 1141
"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" 1136
"Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk" 1130
"Butterflies Are Free" 1128
"Pins and Needles" 1108
"Fosse" 1100
"Plaza Suite" 1097
"They're Playing Our Song" 1082
"Grand Hotel" 1077
"Kiss Me, Kate" 1070
"Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope" 1065
"The Pajama Game" 1063
"Shenandoah" 1050
"Annie Get Your Gun" (Revival) 1046
"The Teahouse of the August Moon" 1027
"Damn Yankees" 1019
"Contact" 1010
"Never Too Late" 1007
"Big River" 1005
"South Pacific" (2009 Revival) 996
"The Will Rogers Follies" 983
"Any Wednesday" 982
"Sunset Boulevard" 977
"Urinetown" 965
"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" 964
"The Odd Couple" 964
* "Rock of Ages" 962
"Anna Lucasta" 957
"Kiss and Tell" 956
"Show Boat" (Revival) 951
"Dracula" (Revival) 925
"Bells Are Ringing" 924
"The Moon Is Blue" 924
"Beatlemania" 920
"Proof" 917
"The Elephant Man" 916
"The Color Purple" 910
"Kiss of the Spider Woman" 906
"Thoroughly Modern Millie" 904
"Luv" 901
"The Who's Tommy" 900
"Chicago" 898
"Applause" 896
"Can-Can" 892
"Carousel" 890
"I'm Not Rappaport" 890
"Hats Off to Ice" 889
"Fanny" 888
"Children of a Lesser God" 887
"Kiss Me, Kate" (Revival) 885
"Follow the Girls" 882
"City of Angels" 878
"Camelot" 873
"I Love My Wife" 872
"The Bat" 867
"My Sister Eileen" 864
"No, No, Nanette" (Revival) 861
"Ragtime" 861
"Song of Norway" 860
"Spring Awakening" 859
"Chapter Two" 857
"A Streetcar Named Desire" 855
"Barnum" 854
"Comedy in Music" 849
"Raisin" 847
"Blood Brothers" 839
"You Can't Take It With You" 837
"La Plume de Ma Tante" 835
"Three Men on a Horse" 835
"The Subject Was Roses" 832
"Black and Blue" 824
* "Memphis" 821
"The King and I" (Revival) 807
"Inherit the Wind" 806
"Anything Goes" (1989 Revival) 804
"Titanic" 804
SOME OTHER CURRENT BROADWAY SHOWS
"The Addams Family" 626
These figures come from The Broadway League and "The Otis Guernsey/Burns Mantle Theatre Yearbook: The Best Plays of 2000-2001," edited by Otis L. Guernsey Jr., as updated by Playbill.com. The totals for number of performances do not include previews. For comparison, Broadway shows generally play eight performances a week, or about 416 performances per year.
LONG RUNS OFF-BROADWAY (as of Jan. 11, 2007 unless noted)
"The Fantasticks" 17,162
*"Perfect Crime" 8,021
*"Blue Man Group: Tubes" 8,006
*"Stomp" 5,418
*"Tony n' Tina's Wedding" 4,905 (as of May 1, 2004)
*"I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" 4,345
"Nunsense" 3,672
"Threepenny Opera" 2,611
"De La Guarda" 2,475
"Forbidden Broadway (1982-87)" 2,332
"Little Shop of Horrors" 2,209
A number of these productions have been adapted for the big screen. Which of the un-filmed plays or musicals from this list would you want to see on the big screen?
This list has become so shockingly devalued over the years. I'm know I'm speaking in Old Man/Get Off My Lawn mode here, but...
When I first got a look at the long-run list, I was about 12 years old (1964). The leaders -- in positions they held for the next ten years -- were Life with Father, Tobacco Road, My Fair Lady, Abie's Irish Rose and Oklahoma. No one would suggest these were works of theatrical genius -- though both musicals were certainly sensations in their day. But these titles had cachet because they'd held those positions for a very long time: Life with Father had finished its run in the mid/late 40s; Tobacco Road was even earlier; and Abie's Irish Rose had been a hit in the 20s. There was something comforting about having a sense of tradition about the list. And the few shows that neared or passed the top of the list over the following decade -- Man of La Mancha, Hello Dolly!, Fiddler & Grease -- felt like they got there by merit; they were the famous shows of their time. They belonged on a roster of prestige.
But look at what you've got now. Four of the top ten currently running, another four of them having ended their runs this decade. Revivals and jukebox musicals having the sort of runs that only the creme de la creme had back in the day. It's akin to looking at unadjusted movie grosses: it makes it appear practically all the most successful shows were mounted in the past 10 years. And few of the m are even memorable.
It's still somewhat interesting to glance at once in a while. But, I tell you: I used to pore over this list yearly when I was young. And that thrill is long gone.
Long Runs on Broadway
By Playbill Staff
09 Oct 2011
Several current Broadway shows are in the process of breaking records on the all time long-run list. Here are the standings for number of performances of current and former Broadway shows as of October 9, 2011. The list includes all Broadway shows that have run more than 800 performances. All totals are for the original Broadway run, except where otherwise noted. Shows marked with an asterisk (*) are still running.
* "The Phantom of the Opera" 9857
"Cats" 7485
"Les Misérables" 6680
* "Chicago" (Revival) 6184
"A Chorus Line" 6137
"Oh! Calcutta!" (Revival) 5959
* "The Lion King" 5770
"Beauty and the Beast" 5461
"Rent" 5124
* "Mamma Mia!" 4134
"Miss Saigon" 4097
"42nd Street" 3486
"Grease" 3388
* "Wicked" 3291
"Fiddler on the Roof" 3242
"Life With Father" 3224
"Tobacco Road" 3182
"Hello, Dolly!" 2844
"My Fair Lady" 2717
"Hairspray" 2641
"Avenue Q" 2534
"The Producers" 2502
* "Jersey Boys" 2446
"Cabaret" (Revival) 2378
"Annie" 2377
"Man of La Mancha" 2328
"Abie's Irish Rose" 2327
"Oklahoma!" 2212
"Smokey Joe's Cafe" 2036
* "Mary Poppins" 2040
"Pippin" 1944
"South Pacific" 1925
"The Magic Show" 1920
"Aida" 1852
"Gemini" 1819
"Deathtrap" 1793
"Harvey" 1775
"Dancin'" 1774
"La Cage Aux Folles" 1761
"Hair" 1750
"The Wiz" 1672
"Born Yesterday" 1642
"The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" 1639
"Crazy for You" 1622
"Ain't Misbehavin'" 1604
"Monty Python's Spamalot" 1574
"Mary, Mary" 1572
"Evita" 1567
"The Voice of the Turtle" 1557
"Jekyll & Hyde" 1543
"Barefoot in the Park" 1530
"Brighton Beach Memoirs" 1530
"42nd Street" (Revival) 1524
"Dreamgirls" 1522
"Mame" 1508
"Grease!" (Revival) 1501
"Same Time, Next Year" 1453
"Arsenic and Old Lace" 1444
"The Sound of Music" 1443
"Me and My Girl" 1420
"How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" 1417
"Hellzapoppin" 1404
"The Music Man" 1375
"Funny Girl" 1348
"Mummenschanz" 1326
"Oh! Calcutta!" 1314
"Movin' Out" 1303
"Angel Street" 1295
"Lightnin'" 1291
"Promises, Promises" 1281
"The King and I" 1246
"Cactus Flower" 1234
"Sleuth" 1222
"Torch Song Trilogy" 1222
"1776" 1217
"Equus" 1209
* "Billy Elliot: The Musical" 1208
"Sugar Babies" 1208
"Guys and Dolls" 1200
"In the Heights" 1184
"Amadeus" 1181
"Cabaret" 1165
"Mister Roberts" 1157
"Annie Get Your Gun" 1147
"Guys and Dolls" (Revival) 1144
"The Seven Year Itch" 1141
"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" 1136
"Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk" 1130
"Butterflies Are Free" 1128
"Pins and Needles" 1108
"Fosse" 1100
"Plaza Suite" 1097
"They're Playing Our Song" 1082
"Grand Hotel" 1077
"Kiss Me, Kate" 1070
"Don't Bother Me, I Can't Cope" 1065
"The Pajama Game" 1063
"Shenandoah" 1050
"Annie Get Your Gun" (Revival) 1046
"The Teahouse of the August Moon" 1027
"Damn Yankees" 1019
"Contact" 1010
"Never Too Late" 1007
"Big River" 1005
"South Pacific" (2009 Revival) 996
"The Will Rogers Follies" 983
"Any Wednesday" 982
"Sunset Boulevard" 977
"Urinetown" 965
"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" 964
"The Odd Couple" 964
* "Rock of Ages" 962
"Anna Lucasta" 957
"Kiss and Tell" 956
"Show Boat" (Revival) 951
"Dracula" (Revival) 925
"Bells Are Ringing" 924
"The Moon Is Blue" 924
"Beatlemania" 920
"Proof" 917
"The Elephant Man" 916
"The Color Purple" 910
"Kiss of the Spider Woman" 906
"Thoroughly Modern Millie" 904
"Luv" 901
"The Who's Tommy" 900
"Chicago" 898
"Applause" 896
"Can-Can" 892
"Carousel" 890
"I'm Not Rappaport" 890
"Hats Off to Ice" 889
"Fanny" 888
"Children of a Lesser God" 887
"Kiss Me, Kate" (Revival) 885
"Follow the Girls" 882
"City of Angels" 878
"Camelot" 873
"I Love My Wife" 872
"The Bat" 867
"My Sister Eileen" 864
"No, No, Nanette" (Revival) 861
"Ragtime" 861
"Song of Norway" 860
"Spring Awakening" 859
"Chapter Two" 857
"A Streetcar Named Desire" 855
"Barnum" 854
"Comedy in Music" 849
"Raisin" 847
"Blood Brothers" 839
"You Can't Take It With You" 837
"La Plume de Ma Tante" 835
"Three Men on a Horse" 835
"The Subject Was Roses" 832
"Black and Blue" 824
* "Memphis" 821
"The King and I" (Revival) 807
"Inherit the Wind" 806
"Anything Goes" (1989 Revival) 804
"Titanic" 804
SOME OTHER CURRENT BROADWAY SHOWS
"The Addams Family" 626
These figures come from The Broadway League and "The Otis Guernsey/Burns Mantle Theatre Yearbook: The Best Plays of 2000-2001," edited by Otis L. Guernsey Jr., as updated by Playbill.com. The totals for number of performances do not include previews. For comparison, Broadway shows generally play eight performances a week, or about 416 performances per year.
LONG RUNS OFF-BROADWAY (as of Jan. 11, 2007 unless noted)
"The Fantasticks" 17,162
*"Perfect Crime" 8,021
*"Blue Man Group: Tubes" 8,006
*"Stomp" 5,418
*"Tony n' Tina's Wedding" 4,905 (as of May 1, 2004)
*"I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" 4,345
"Nunsense" 3,672
"Threepenny Opera" 2,611
"De La Guarda" 2,475
"Forbidden Broadway (1982-87)" 2,332
"Little Shop of Horrors" 2,209
