The Broadway productions of The Lion King and Chicago will celebrate anniversaries this week that few other shows can boast.
Based on the Disney animated film of the same title, The Lion King, which opened November 13, 1997, will notch its 19th anniversary Sunday, November 13. Recently having played its 7,900th performance, The Lion King surpassed the original run of that other feline-themed musical, Cats, in 2015 to become Broadway's third-longest-running show. The Lion King, which opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre, is currently playing at the Minskoff Theatre in Times Square.
The revival of Chicago, which opened November 14, 1996, will celebrate its 20th anniversary Monday, November 14. It's the second-longest-running show in Broadway history.
The only Broadway show that has run longer than either of them is The Phantom of the Opera, which will mark its 29th anniversary in January 2017.
Click here to see a complete list of Broadway's all-time longest-running shows.