During the week ending June 16, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” became the fourth-longest play in Broadway history. As of June 16, the 2018 Best Play Tony Award winner has clocked 1,825 performances, surpassing the 1,819 performance total of Albert Innaurato’s 1977 comedy “Gemini.”
Penned by Jack Thorne, “Harry Potter,” only recently became the fifth-longest-running straight play in history, eclipsing the title previously held by Ira Levin’s 1978 whodunnit “Deathtrap.” “Harry Potter” is one of only 27 straight plays in Broadway history to surpass 1,000 performances, and the only one opening in the 21st century to do so.
“Life with Father” (3,224) holds the title of longest-running Broadway play, with “Tobacco Road” (3,182) and “Abie’s Irish Rose” (2,327) the second- and third-longest running, respectively.
Based on an original story by J.K. Rowling, Thorne and John Tiffany, “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” follows the characters of Rowling’s book series as they enter parenthood. The Tiffany-directed production opened on April 22, 2018 at the Lyric Theatre under the title “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts One and Two,” which was presented over two performances. A revised, one-part version reopened post-pandemic on Dec. 7, 2021. A touring version is slated to launch in September 2024 at Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre.
“Harry Potter” was nominated for 10 Tony Awards in 2018, winning six, including Best Play. The production recouped its investment in 2022.
A production’s performance count includes opening night and all post-opening performances and is recorded each week with the publishing of its box office grosses. Preview performances and benefit performances are not included in this tally.
A list of Broadway’s record-setting long-runners (plays and musicals) is available here.
“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions.
