Lists about the greatest performers and most spectacular plays, musicals, and other shows ever to sparkle in the bright lights of Broadway.

Lights Are Bright on Broadway

Culture

These are 80+ of the&nbsp;most popular Broadway musicals in history, listed according to their durations on the stage. The longest running Broadway musicals are part of the American musical canon with familiar songs that people hum to themselves or sing out loud, featuring stories generations know and love. Each of these productions has been performed at least 1,000 times in New York&#39;s famous&nbsp;Broadway theaters.

So what are the most popular Broadway shows? From well-known classic&nbsp;shows like Les Mis&eacute;rables&nbsp;and Cats to newer hits like Hamilton&nbsp;and Dear Evan Hansen,&nbsp;these famous musicals with the most performances still gain new fans each year. Many of them are still running to this day, such as The Phantom of the Opera, which has been performed on Broadway more times than any other production. Among the top 20 most performed shows list below, there are iconic examples of the best of the form and major works from some of the best musical theater writers, choreographers, and performers of all time.

The biggest Broadway shows have toured America and the world alike, with long runs in London&#39;s West End&nbsp;and the Chicago Theatre District. Others have been <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-live-musical-television-special/ranker-tv" target="_blank">adapted into live TV events</a>. And there are plenty more that&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/stage-musicals-that-would-make-great-movies/michael-gibson" target="_blank">would&nbsp;make great movies</a> if only someone would take a shot. This list features only musicals, so you won&#39;t find any of your favorite <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-works-of-neil-simon-playwright/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Neil Simon plays</a> or more recent non-musical hits.&nbsp;So, what are the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-musicals?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">greatest Broadway musicals</a> of all time? Check out the list below for your answer.

The Most Popular Broadway Musicals of All Time

Musical/Play

The Most Popular Broadway Musicals Of All Time

Constance Bennet

Kinky Boots

Kinky Boots is a Broadway musical with music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein. Based on the 2005 British film Kinky Boots, written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth and inspired by true events, the musical tells the story of Charlie Price. Having inherited a shoe factory from his father, Charlie forms an unlikely partnership with cabaret performer and drag queen Lola to produce a line of high-heeled boots and save the business. In the process, Charlie and Lola discover that they are not so different after all.

The musical phenomenon Hamilton follows the life of one ambitious immigrant who helps win a revolution and shape early American politics, all while earnestly sticking to noble ideals. 

History Has Its Eyes on You

Broadway

List of the best musicals to ever run on stage, whether on Broadway, the West End, or in smaller fringe theaters around the world. The greatest musicals combine music, dancing, amazing stories, and top casts to take the viewer out of a theatre and into a world they never imagined. The best Broadway musicals are a cross-section of classic musicals like Les Miserables (now an <a>Oscar winning</a> movie) and Cats as well as new favorites like The Book of Mormon and Wicked. Their casts feature some of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/best-broadway-stars/mollie">best stars on Broadway</a> from throughout the years, and they are all worthy of more than one viewing. The best thing about musical theater, of course, is that it's never the same show twice.What are the top Broadway musicals? What are the best musical theater shows? Which shows are the greatest musicals ever to be on stage? That's for all you musical theater fans to decide! Vote on your favorite musicals and if your favorite Broadway musical show isn't on the list, add it so others can discover a best new Broadway musical to see.

The Phantom of the Opera

The Greatest Musicals Ever Performed on Broadway, Ranked

Ranker Community

Tony Awards

This list ranks the greatest musicals that have won the Tony Award for Best Musical, though many of these Broadway musicals have garnered multiple additional Tony Awards in other categories as well. Broadway musicals that’ve been honored with the Best Musical award include many that are instantly recognizable by fans around the world, including My Fair Lady and Annie. Thanks to their accolades and their recognizability, each musical on this list deserves a spot as one the best Tony Award winning musicals.The Tony Awards were introduced in 1947, but it wasn’t until 1949 that the Best Musical category was introduced. That year, the show many people consider to be one of the greatest Broadway musicals of all time took the award: Kiss Me, Kate, based on Shakespeare's&nbsp;The Taming of the Shrew and with music by Cole Porter. Since then, many amazing Broadway musicals have been handed the award, including Kinky Boots, which debuted on Broadway in 2013.With so many great Broadway musicals, however, it isn’t always easy to choose the winner of the Tony each year. That was certainly the case in 1960, when The Sound of Music&nbsp;and Fiorello! tied for the top spot. Both Tony Award winning productions were so popular that they’ve subsequently been staged on Broadway multiple times, earning them each a spot on this list of the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-musicals?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best Broadway musicals</a> that have won the Tony.This list contains all of the greatest winners of the Tony for Best Musical. If you’ve yet to see a few of these productions, don’t worry, they’re so popular that they’re sure to make it back to Broadway, and this list includes videos from these top Broadway musicals. Vote up the best Broadway musicals on the list below.

Hairspray

The Best Tony Award Winning Musicals

List of the Best Tony Award Winning Musicals

Buster McDermott

What are the best Broadway shows today? This has been ranked by theater lovers to determine the top Broadway musicals from the 2000s to the present. From Wicked to Spring Awakening, today's <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-musicals?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best Broadway musicals</a> are carrying on the musical theater legacy and drawing in audiences both during their Broadway runs, and on tour as well.Though revivals and adaptations have been increasing in popularity, such as Thoroughly Modern Millie, West Side Story and South Pacific, notable new shows such as Wicked and The Book of Mormon continue to draw audiences to Broadway musicals. Today's Broadway shows dazzle with nonstop dancing, music, and energy, as seen in shows like Hairspray and Billy Elliott. The 2000s have also seen a large draw to musical comedies, including the dark satire of Urinetown, a show with an outrageous plot that kept audiences laughing in their seats.&nbsp;Though the decade has seen its fair share of criticism that the original musical is dead, Broadway shows are still enjoyed by many who delight in the dazzle of the lights. Broadway today attracts families to shows such as Seussical or Legally Blonde, but treasures such as The Color Purple and Next to Normal continue to keep the Broadway musical alive.Cast your votes below for the greatest <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-broadway-stars-of-the-21st-century/bustermcdermott?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">modern Broadway musicals</a> and see where the musicals of the 2000s you think are the best rank.

Tarzan of the Apes

The Best Broadway Musicals of the 2000s

This list contains all of the hottest Broadway shows currently playing, including plays and musicals. You might also be interested in the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/the-most-popular-broadway-musicals-ever/constance-bennet">longest running Broadway musicals</a> and <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/celebrities-who-have-starred-on-broadway/celebrity-lists">celebrities who starred on Broadway</a>.&nbsp;Some are for kids, some are adult-only, but they’re all shows that Broadway fans must be sure not to miss. A few of these shows, in fact, are so amazing that they’ve already won Tony Awards. Which current Broadway shows are the best?In August 2015, Hamilton made its Broadway debut to critical acclaim, winning 11 Tony Award, including Best Musical. Created by and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton is currently the must-see Broadway musical. &nbsp;Fans of Broadway, film, and even television are in luck when it comes to the best Broadway shows playing now. Cynthia Nixon, who’s most popular for her role as Miranda on Sex and the City&nbsp;is in The Real Thing, along with co-stars Maggie Gyllenhaal and Ewan McGregor, a fantastic cast and part of what makes The Real Thing one of the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/crowdranked-list/best-shows-currently-on-the-air?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best shows</a> on Broadway.Not all film and television actors star in <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/the-most-popular-broadway-musicals-ever/constance-bennet?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Broadway productions</a> and simply act, however. Neil Patrick Harris, famous for his roles on both Doogie Howser, M.D.&nbsp;and How I Met Your Mother,&nbsp;takes the stage on Broadway in Hedwig and the Angry Inch. In it, Harris reminds audiences not only that the show is amazing but also that he can sing. It's one of the most sensational and talked about shows currently on Broadway.This list contains all of the greatest shows on Broadway at the moment. Many feature great Hollywood stars, while others showcase some of the hottest Broadway talents, such as Sutton Foster. No matter which stars they showcase or how long they’ll ultimately run, these are all definitely the <a href="http://www.ranker.com/list/tv-shows-with-the-hottest-casts/pocketful-of-sunshine?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">hottest shows</a> on Broadway right now.

The Best Broadway Shows Right Now

Best Broadway Shows Right Now | List of Current Broadway Shows

General

Arts

Best Rankings of Famous Artworks, Paintings and Designs by Well-Known Artists and Designers

arts

Do you love musicals? Do you love singing along to every song in every musical? Vote on these lists to rank every song you can't stop, won't stop, never wanna stop singing in the greatest musicals ever to hit the stage and screen. 

Don’t Make Me Sing

Songs

The story of a struggling shoe salesman who teams up with an outspoken drag queen to save his fledgling business,&nbsp;Kinky Boots&nbsp;is a surprisingly sweet tale of two kindred spirits who lift each other up. Fans of unlikely friendships and <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-movies-about-underdogs/ranker-film" target="_blank">underdog sagas</a>&nbsp;fell in love with the musical, and the fact the Kinky Boots&nbsp;soundtrack was penned by pop princess Cyndi Lauper certainly helped bolster its popularity. What are the best songs in&nbsp;Kinky Boots?&nbsp;Here, you'll find all&nbsp;Kinky Boots&nbsp;songs ranked by fans.&nbsp;The&nbsp;Kinky Boots&nbsp;track listing is understandably catchy, given Lauper has given us insatiably catchy '80s hits like &quot;Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.&quot; From Lola introducing herself to Charlie in &quot;Land of Lola&quot; to the serene ballad of the pressure of parental expectations that is &quot;Not My Father's Son,&quot; there's plenty to love on the playlist below. Give it a listen and vote up the best songs.&nbsp;

Kinky Boots

Lists about Kinky Boots

Kinky Boots is listed on