There’s nothing specifically magical about the 1,000 performance limit: it’s a convenient cut off for so-called “long running” shows. Stretching that limit another 100 performances brings in an additional 21 shows, many of which are notable in their own right.
Tops among them is the 2008 revival of “South Pacific” which ran for 996 performances, breath-takingly close to making this list. I had occasion to think about this production because one of the things I found out about #118: “Contact” was that it was the longest running show ever to grace the Vivian Beaumont stage at Lincoln Center. “South Pacific” was only 14 performances behind.
I also have fond memories of this production because Richmonder, Jerold Solomon, was in the cast and, when I took my son to see the show, Jerold was kind enough to give me a backstage tour. If you’ve never been, the Beaumont stage is HUGE. As you can see from the pics, it was big enough to handle a small scale airplane. The robust SP cast romped all over that stage and director Bartlett Sher filled it with interesting action at all times.
More importantly, Sher took a show that has many very problematic elements and crafted an experience that understood those problems even when it didn’t address them specifically. One small example: as you can see in the picture above, there are black service members present but they are purposely placed together and separate from the rest of the cast. Through most of the show, Sher acknowledged the tacit racism of the time through this kind of blocking, allowing for diverse representation in the cast but also not overlooking the reality of the times.
I really enjoyed this production, even with the musical’s problems, and was tickled to meet Laura Osnes who was playing Nellie Forbush thanks to Jerold. I really wish it had run just 4 more performances so it could have overtaken that 1,000 threshold and take its place among the longest-running.