| <table border="1"> | |
| <tr><td>Took lead</td><td>Title</td><td>Type</td><td>Opening date</td><td>Closing date</td><td>Performances</td><td>Comments/Notes</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>January 9, 2006</td><td>The Phantom of the Opera</td><td>M</td><td>January 26, 1988</td><td>-</td><td>12,927</td><td>Currently running at the Majestic Theatre 7 Tony Awards in 1988, including Best Musical 7 Drama Desk Awards in 1988 Broadway's longest-running show and musical</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>June 19, 1997</td><td>Cats</td><td>M</td><td>October 7, 1982</td><td>September 10, 2000</td><td>7,485</td><td>7 Tony Awards in 1983, including Best Musical 3 Drama Desk Awards in 1983 Grammy Award for Best Cast Show Album in 1984</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>September 29, 1983</td><td>A Chorus Line</td><td>M</td><td>July 25, 1975</td><td>April 28, 1990</td><td>6,137</td><td>9 Tony Awards in 1976, including Best Musical 5 Drama Desk Awards in 1976, including Outstanding Musical A Special Tony Award in 1984 for becoming Broadway's longest-running musical Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1976 Revival in 2006 (759 performances)</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>December 8, 1979</td><td>Grease</td><td>M</td><td>February 14, 1972</td><td>April 13, 1980</td><td>3,388</td><td>2 Drama Desk Awards in 1972 Revivals in 1994 (1,505 performances) and 2007 (554 performances)</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>June 17, 1972</td><td>Fiddler on the Roof</td><td>M</td><td>September 22, 1964</td><td>July 2, 1972</td><td>3,242</td><td>Became longest running musical in July 1971, at 2,845 performances passing 2,844 mark of Hello Dolly!. 9 Tony Awards in 1965, including Best Musical A Special Tony Award in 1972 for becoming Broadway's longest-running musical Revivals in 1976 (167 performances), 1981 (53 performances), 1990, (241 performances), 2004 (781 performances), and 2015 (431 performances)</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>June 14, 1947</td><td>Life with Father</td><td>P</td><td>November 8, 1939</td><td>July 12, 1947</td><td>3,224</td><td>Broadway's longest-running straight play. Started at Empire Theatre, moved to the Bijou Theatre in 1945, and finished up its run in 1947 at the Alvin Theatre.</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>June 1939</td><td>Tobacco Road</td><td>P</td><td>December 4, 1933</td><td>May 31, 1941</td><td>3,182</td><td>Revivals in 1942 (34 performances), 1943 (66 performances), and 1950 (7 performances)</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>May 23, 1925</td><td>Abie's Irish Rose</td><td>P</td><td>May 23, 1923</td><td>October 1, 1927</td><td>2,327</td><td>Revivals in 1937 (46 performances) and 1954 (20 performances)</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>March 17, 1920</td><td>Lightnin'</td><td>P</td><td>August 26, 1918</td><td>August 27, 1921</td><td>1,291</td><td>Revival in 1938 (54 performances)</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>June 22, 1893</td><td>A Trip to Chinatown</td><td>M</td><td>November 9, 1891</td><td>August 7, 1893</td><td>657</td><td>-</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>December 1885</td><td>Adonis</td><td>M</td><td>September 4, 1884</td><td>April 17, 1886</td><td>603</td><td>-</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>May 1881</td><td>Hazel Kirke</td><td>P</td><td>February 4, 1880</td><td>May 31, 1881</td><td>486</td><td>250th performance programme claimed play had exceeded number of consecutive performances of any "similar play" in the country on its 238th performance, which is no doubt a reference to Pique (1875) which ran for 237 performances.</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>August 5, 1867</td><td>The Black Crook</td><td>M</td><td>September 12, 1866</td><td>January 4, 1868</td><td>474</td><td>First Broadway show to run for over one year. In terms of a "musical", The Seven Sisters (1860–61, 253 perf.), was probably the longest running show closest to a "musical" prior to this.</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>1853</td><td>Uncle Tom's Cabin (Aiken version)</td><td>P</td><td>August 8, 1853</td><td>May 13, 1854</td><td>325</td><td>Has generally been classified as a play, though some arguments have been made that it was a musical. Played at the National Theatre.</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>1850</td><td>The Drunkard</td><td>P</td><td>1850</td><td>October 7, 1850?</td><td>100</td><td>As of October 7, 1850, it hit 100 consecutive performances in New York, the first play to do so. At Barnum's American Museum.</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>September 24, 1844</td><td>Putnam, the Iron Son of '76</td><td>P</td><td>August 5, 1844</td><td>November 2, 1844</td><td>78</td><td>At the Bowery Theatre. If Mazeppa ran 43 nights in 1833 and was previous record, Putnam became most performed on its 44th performance on September 24, 1844.</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>1833</td><td>Mazeppa, Or, The Wild Horse of Ukraine</td><td>P</td><td>July 22, 1833</td><td>September 9, 1833</td><td>43</td><td>At the Bowery Theatre with George Gale as Mazeppa.</td></tr> | |
| <tr><td>1831</td><td>The Elephant of Siam and the Fire Fiend by Samuel Beazley</td><td>P</td><td>January 10, 1831</td><td>?</td><td>18</td><td>At the Bowery Theatre, the first season under Thomas S. Hamblin, who embraced melodramas which might support longer runs.</td></tr> | |
| </table> | |