How long is a Broadway show? Most full-length musicals run about two to three hours, usually with an intermission. Plays can be shorter or longer, and some shows go straight through with no break. The running time belongs to a specific production, not the title itself.
You can see this in ChicagoCritic’s own reviews. The same musical at different theaters often clocks in at different lengths, even when both include an intermission.
How Long Are Broadway Musicals?
A typical full-length Broadway musical runs around two to three hours, including intermission. Some come in closer to 90 minutes; others push toward three hours. Score length, dialogue, staging, and how long the intermission runs all play a part.
Don’t treat a published running time as fixed. A revival, regional production, or national tour of the same show can differ from the version you saw last year or the one currently on Broadway.
Popular Broadway Shows and Running Times
These are approximate times for well-known Broadway productions, including intermission where noted. Times and schedules change; always confirm with the presenting theater.
| Broadway show | Running time | Intermission |
|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | 2 hours 45 minutes | Yes |
| Wicked | 2 hours 45 minutes | Yes |
| The Lion King | 2 hours 30 minutes | Yes |
| Chicago | 2 hours 30 minutes | Yes |
| Hadestown | 2 hours 30 minutes | Yes |
| The Book of Mormon | 2 hours 30 minutes | Yes |
| Aladdin | 2 hours 30 minutes | Yes |
| MJ | 2 hours 30 minutes | Yes |
| The Outsiders | 2 hours 30 minutes | Yes |
| The Great Gatsby | 2 hours 30 minutes | Yes |
| & Juliet | 2 hours 40 minutes | Yes |
| SIX | 1 hour 20 minutes | No |
| Maybe Happy Ending | 1 hour 40 minutes | No |
| Harry Potter and the Cursed Child | 2 hours 55 minutes | Yes |
| Oh, Mary! | 1 hour 20 minutes | No |
Same Musical, Different Running Times: Examples from ChicagoCritic Reviews
The times below come from ChicagoCritic’s historical reviews. They cover the specific productions reviewed, not current schedules. Each includes an intermission.
| Musical | Reviewed production | Reported running time |
|---|---|---|
| Hairspray | Marriott Theatre | 2 hours 20 minutes |
| Hairspray | Drury Lane Theatre | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Hairspray | Paramount Theatre | Approximately 2 hours 20 minutes |
| Cabaret | Marriott Theatre | 2 hours 20 minutes |
| Cabaret | Light Opera Works | 2 hours 45 minutes |
| Cabaret | 2016 national tour | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Les Misérables | Paramount Theatre | 2 hours 45 minutes |
| Les Misérables | Another reviewed production | 2 hours 50 minutes |
| Rent | Theo Ubique | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Rent | Paramount Theatre | 2 hours 40 minutes |
Some differences are small. Others are bigger. The Cabaret reviews, for example, show a 25-minute gap between the Marriott and Light Opera Works productions. That doesn’t automatically mean one cut songs or added scenes—it just shows the reported lengths. The archive records the times, not the reasons.
Why Can the Same Broadway Show Have Different Running Times?
Directors and casts pace dialogue, transitions, and numbers differently. Scene changes and set complexity can add or subtract minutes. Some productions make authorized cuts or rearrangements; others keep the same script and score but simply move at a different speed. Intermission length can also shift the total.
So the better question is usually not “How long is Hairspray?” but “How long is this production of Hairspray?” The reviews above show the difference without claiming any single permanent runtime.
How Long Are Broadway Plays?
Many full-length plays run somewhere between 90 minutes and two and a half hours, but there’s no real standard. One-acts often skip the intermission. Longer dramas can have two acts or more. As with musicals, check the production’s own announced time.
How Long Is a Broadway Intermission?
Intermissions are usually about 15 to 20 minutes, though it varies by show and theater. When a listing says two hours and 30 minutes including intermission, that means the whole event, not two and a half hours plus the break.
What Time Will a Broadway Show End?
Add the advertised running time to the curtain time. A 7:30 p.m. show listed at two hours and 30 minutes including intermission should finish around 10:00 p.m. Leave a little buffer for getting out of the theater and any post-show travel. Start times and exact lengths can still shift.
Do Broadway Tours and Chicago Productions Run the Same Length?
Not always. Chicago sees national tours, local productions, and revivals with different stages and creative teams. The Hairspray, Cabaret, Les Misérables, and Rent reviews above show familiar titles landing at different lengths. For any upcoming performance, confirm the timing with the presenting theater.