Theatre is one of the oldest forms of entertainment, dating back thousands of years. Today, theatre is bigger than ever before, with millions around the world enjoying a massive variety of productions, from local community centres to huge plays on Broadway. Some of these productions have been so successful in their long runs that they’ve brought in billions of dollars in some cases.
Chicago
With over 9000 performances under its name, Chicago is among the world’s most popular productions of all time, raking in almost a billion dollars since it was originally played on Broadway in 1975. Although it only ran for 2 years and was subsequently cancelled.
In 1996, however, they brought it back, and its success far outweighed the original production, eventually putting on almost 10000 performances to date in what’s considered by many as one of the most successful theatre revivals of all time.
Mamma Mia
While Mamma Mia doesn’t boast quite as many performances as Chicago, it’s still the nine longest running production in the history of Broadway, while also being the fourth highest grossing.
Thanks to its mix of Abba classics, Mamma Mia proved to be the first jukebox musical of its time, and allowed for other productions, such as Jersey Boys to take off with much more success, and make for a great evening out after winning big at betting sites in NZ.
Wicked
Wicked is a name that everyone in Broadway has become well accustomed with, and it’s this popularity that has kept the production going to this day. Following on from the massive success of the Lion King, Wicked was a newcomer to Broadway that took the musical world by storm, and has seen repeated showings at The Gershwin, which has a capacity of almost 2000.
The story is based on the wicked witches from the Wizard of Oz, and like the original movie, this production has gone down in the annals of history as truly memorable.
The Phantom of The Opera
It’s a name that has become synonymous with musical theatre, and it tells a classic story that has caught the attention of countless millions throughout the years. With over a billion dollars under its name, the Phantom of the Opera is a timeless classic, and is considered by many to be a landmark of New York City.
It’s a beloved musical that boasts over 12000 performances throughout its lifetime, with many thousands more to come in the future.
The Lion King
While not quite as old as some of the other productions, the Lion King is undoubtedly the most successful of all times, and has been running without stop for a total of twenty years.
With more than $1.5 billion in sales since it started, the Lion King musical has become a force of its own, although it may be some time before it overshadows the original animated classic from the 1990s. Today, the Lion King can be watched at the Minskoff theatre in New York City, and shows no signs of shutting down anytime soon.