Longest Running Musicals in London's West End
Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera are Among Longest London Runs
Oct 6, 2009
Some of the world's best musicals have originated in London's West End theatre district, notably those of Andrew Lloyd Webber, but Broadway-born shows are popular in the UK too. Here are some of the longest running musicals currently playing in the West End.
Ten Long-running West End Musicals
- Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera is the longest-running West End production still playing in its original theatre, and second longest-running overall. It also holds the record as longest running musical on Broadway. It has been playing steadily at Her Majesty's Theatre since October 9, 1986 and is currently slated to run until at least February 26 of 2011.
- At the Phoenix Theatre, Willy Russell’s Blood Brothers, about the reunion of a pair of twins separated at birth, has been running since 1991 and will continue there until at least July 2010.
- Disney’s The Lion King has reigned at the Lyceum Theatre since September of 1999. Just having passed its second decade, the show continues until at least August 2010.
- The rock musical based on the songs of Queen, We Will Rock You, has been playing at the Dominion Theatre since 2002 and will run until at least March 27, 2010.
- At the Queen’s Theatre, Les Misérables is well into its second decade. However, the production itself is technically the longest running West End musical. It originally opened on October 8, 1985 at the Barbican Arts Centre, later transferring to the Palace Theatre, and then to the present location, where it is scheduled to run until at least February of 2011. (In 2006, it passed CATS, another Andrew Lloyd Webber production, for the longest-running musical title.)
- Mamma Mia!, based on the songs of ABBA, has been running at the Prince Of Wales Theatre since June of 2004, and continues to at least March 2011.
- March 31, 2005 was the opening date of the extremely popular Billy Elliot: The Musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre, which continues it run until at least April 2010
- Kander and Ebb's Chicago made its debut at the Cambridge Theatre on April 28, 2006, and is continuing until at least October 2010.
- Wicked has been running at the Apollo Victoria Theatre since September 7, 2006. It also runs to at least October 2010.
- Baby has been coming out of that corner in Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story on Stage at the Aldwych Theatre since September 29, 2006, and she'll continue doing so until at least March of 2010.
West End Musicals Running Since 2008 or Longer
Younger shows that nonetheless boast impressive runs are Stomp (at the Ambassadors Theatre since September of 2007), Grease (at the Piccadilly Theatre since July 2007) and Hairspray (at the Shaftesbury Theatre since October of 2007). Jersey Boys (Prince Edward Theatre), La Cage aux Folles (Playhouse Theatre) and Oliver! (Drury Lane, Theatre Royal Theatre) have all been running since 2008.
To find out how to buy tickets to London West End musicals, visit LondonTheatre.co.uk. Read on to find out more about Broadway musicals in New York, Chicago or Toronto.
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