“The Lion King” is set to roar past “A Chorus Line” on Wednesday to become the fifth-longest running show in Broadway history.

The Disney musical, directed by Julie Taymor, has been playing for 14 years and nine months. It opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York in November 1997. It transferred to the Minskoff Theatre in 2006 where it continues to run.

“A Chorus Line” ran on Broadway from July 25, 1975, to April 28, 1990. It ran at the Public Theater in New York before transferring uptown. “The Phantom of the Opera” is the longest-running show in Broadway history at 22 years and counting. “Cats,” “Les Miserables” and “Chicago” round out the second-, third- and fourth-longest-running shows.

Earlier this year, “The Lion King” beat another Broadway record, surpassing “Phantom” as the all-time box-office champion. But the record came with a caveat -- the Disney musical has benefited from higher ticket prices than “Phantom.”


Taymor’s most recent Broadway effort -- “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” -- has been a somewhat less joyous experience. The director is locked in a legal fight with “Spider-Man” producers over her role in the musical’s development.

“Lion King” also holds a record in L.A.: It ran at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood for more than two years beginning in 2000, the theater’s longest-running production.

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