Took lead,Title,Type,Opening date,Closing date,Performances,Comments/Notes
"January 9, 2006",The Phantom of the Opera,M,"January 26, 1988",-,"12,927","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"
"June 19, 1997",Cats,M,"October 7, 1982","September 10, 2000","7,485","7 Tony Awards in 1983, including Best Musical 3 Drama Desk Awards in 1983 Grammy Award for Best Cast Show Album in 1984"
"September 29, 1983",A Chorus Line,M,"July 25, 1975","April 28, 1990","6,137","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)"
"December 8, 1979",Grease,M,"February 14, 1972","April 13, 1980","3,388","2 Drama Desk Awards in 1972 Revivals in 1994 (1,505 performances) and 2007 (554 performances)"
"June 17, 1972",Fiddler on the Roof,M,"September 22, 1964","July 2, 1972","3,242","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)"
"June 14, 1947",Life with Father,P,"November 8, 1939","July 12, 1947","3,224","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."
June 1939,Tobacco Road,P,"December 4, 1933","May 31, 1941","3,182","Revivals in 1942 (34 performances), 1943 (66 performances), and 1950 (7 performances)"
"May 23, 1925",Abie's Irish Rose,P,"May 23, 1923","October 1, 1927","2,327",Revivals in 1937 (46 performances) and 1954 (20 performances)
"March 17, 1920",Lightnin',P,"August 26, 1918","August 27, 1921","1,291",Revival in 1938 (54 performances)
"June 22, 1893",A Trip to Chinatown,M,"November 9, 1891","August 7, 1893",657,-
December 1885,Adonis,M,"September 4, 1884","April 17, 1886",603,-
May 1881,Hazel Kirke,P,"February 4, 1880","May 31, 1881",486,"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."
"August 5, 1867",The Black Crook,M,"September 12, 1866","January 4, 1868",474,"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."
1853,Uncle Tom's Cabin (Aiken version),P,"August 8, 1853","May 13, 1854",325,"Has generally been classified as a play, though some arguments have been made that it was a musical. Played at the National Theatre."
1850,The Drunkard,P,1850,"October 7, 1850?",100,"As of October 7, 1850, it hit 100 consecutive performances in New York, the first play to do so. At Barnum's American Museum."
"September 24, 1844","Putnam, the Iron Son of '76",P,"August 5, 1844","November 2, 1844",78,"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."
1833,"Mazeppa, Or, The Wild Horse of Ukraine",P,"July 22, 1833","September 9, 1833",43,At the Bowery Theatre with George Gale as Mazeppa.
1831,The Elephant of Siam and the Fire Fiend by Samuel Beazley,P,"January 10, 1831",?,18,"At the Bowery Theatre, the first season under Thomas S. Hamblin, who embraced melodramas which might support longer runs."