You've finally snagged tickets. Maybe you spent a small fortune on Hamilton or found a steal for a Tuesday night performance of Hadestown. You’re excited. But then you look at your watch and realize you have a 10:30 PM dinner reservation at Joe Allen, and you start wondering: how long is a Broadway show anyway?
It’s not a silly question. If you’ve ever sat through a four-hour marathon of The Iceman Cometh, you know that timing matters.
Most people assume every show fits into a neat two-hour box. They don't. Broadway is weird, and the timing is often dictated by everything from the complexity of the scene changes to the union rules governing musician breaks. Basically, you’re looking at a range. A wide one.
The Standard Average: The 90 to 150 Minute Window
Most Broadway productions clock in between two hours and 30 minutes and two hours and 45 minutes. This usually includes a 15 or 20-minute intermission.
Think of Wicked. It’s a beast. It runs about two hours and 45 minutes. The Lion King is similar. These are the "standard" lengths for big, flashy book musicals. They need time for the big Act I closer, the bathroom rush, and the resolution.
But then you have the outliers.
Some shows are "one-act" wonders. Six, the pop-concert musical about the wives of Henry VIII, is a brisk 80 minutes. No intermission. You’re in, you’re out, and you’re at the bar before the sun has fully set in the summer. It’s a sprint. Compare that to the 2018 revival of The Ferryman, which demanded over three hours of your life.
Why the variation?
It often comes down to the source material. A play adapted from a massive novel—think Harry Potter and the Cursed Child—is going to lean long. Originally, Cursed Child was two separate shows you had to see on different nights or as a matinee/evening combo. They eventually condensed it into one "shorter" version, but it’s still a chunky three hours and 30 minutes.
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The Intermission Factor
Don't ignore the intermission when calculating how long is a Broadway show.
The "halftime" of theater isn't just for you to buy a $20 souvenir cup of Chardonnay. It's structural. Technically, if a show runs longer than 90 minutes, the actors' and musicians' unions (Actors' Equity and Local 802) generally require a break.
A standard intermission is 15 minutes. However, in the cramped, historic theaters of the Broadway district—where there are roughly three stalls for 500 women—theaters often stretch this to 20 minutes just so the lines can move.
If a show is billed as "90 minutes with no intermission," believe them. Do not drink a large latte right before the curtain rises. There is no graceful way to exit a middle-of-the-row seat at the Lyceum Theatre while a dramatic monologue is happening.
Real-World Timing Examples (As of Early 2026)
To give you a better sense of the landscape, let's look at some current and classic runtimes. These aren't guesses; these are the clocked times from the front of house.
- The Book of Mormon: Roughly 2 hours and 30 minutes. It’s consistent. It’s tight.
- Chicago: 2 hours and 30 minutes. This show is a well-oiled machine that has been running since the late 90s.
- Moulin Rouge! The Musical: 2 hours and 35 minutes.
- & Juliet: 2 hours and 30 minutes.
- The Outsiders: Around 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Notice a pattern? Producers love that 150-minute mark. It’s the "sweet spot" for tourism. It allows for an 8:00 PM curtain and a 10:30 PM exit, which keeps the NYC subway system and the surrounding restaurants happy.
Why Do Shows Start Late?
You’ll see "8:00 PM" on your ticket. You will almost never see a curtain go up at 8:00:00 PM.
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On Broadway, there is a "grace period." Usually, the show starts about five to seven minutes past the printed time. This is "curtain time." House managers are watching the lobby. If there’s a massive delay on the 1-2-3 subway line and half the audience is missing, they might hold the curtain for ten minutes.
Conversely, some shows are notoriously strict. If you are late to a show at a Jujamcyn-owned theater or a Disney house, you might be held in the lobby until a specific "late seating break." Sometimes that break doesn't happen for 20 minutes.
The "One-Act" Trend
Lately, there's been a shift. Writers like Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss (Six) or even the team behind the recent Illinoise have leaned into shorter, intermission-less formats.
Why? Attention spans? Maybe. But it’s also cheaper.
Running a show without an intermission saves on staffing costs and can sometimes allow for two shows a night (though that's rare on Broadway). For the audience, it means you're home earlier. For the theater, it means fewer opportunities to sell overpriced gin and tonics. It’s a trade-off.
If you see a show labeled as a "90-minute one-act," it’s often a high-intensity experience. There’s no breather. You’re strapped in.
How to Find the Exact Runtime Today
Runtimes change. During previews—the period before a show officially opens—a musical might be three hours long. By opening night, the director might have cut 20 minutes of fluff.
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If you want the most accurate answer for how long is a Broadway show for a specific date:
- Check the Official Show Website: They usually list the runtime in the "FAQ" or "About" section.
- The Playbill Website: Playbill.com keeps a running list of "Weekly Broadway Runtimes." It’s the gold standard for theater nerds.
- Look at the Theater Door: When you walk up to the theater, there is almost always a sign near the box office or the entrance that says: "The performance of [Show Name] is 2 hours and 40 minutes with one 15-minute intermission."
Factors That Can Make a Show Run Long
Sometimes, things go wrong. Theater is live. That's the draw, right?
I’ve been in theaters where the automation system (the computers that move the big sets) glitched. The curtain came down, the lights came up, and a stage manager's voice boomed over the speakers: "Ladies and gentlemen, we are experiencing a technical delay."
That can add 10 to 30 minutes to your night.
Then there's the "Standing Ovation Factor." In a hit show, the applause after a major show-stopper (like "Defying Gravity" or "Wait for Me") can actually extend the runtime. Conductors are trained to wait for the roar to die down before starting the next measure. If a crowd is particularly rowdy, you might be out five minutes later than the person who saw the show the night before.
Does the Matinee Run Differently?
Honestly, no. The actors are pros. The stagehands have cues timed to the second. A Wednesday matinee of Aladdin will be within 60 seconds of the Saturday night performance. The only difference is the energy of the crowd.
Practical Steps for Your Night Out
- Plan for 3 Hours: Even if the show is 2:30, plan for three. Between the "late" start, the intermission, and the slow shuffle out of the theater behind someone who can't find their coat, you'll need the buffer.
- The Post-Show Exit: Exiting a theater with 1,500 people takes time. If you’re in the center of a row in the Mezzanine, add 10 minutes just to get to the sidewalk.
- Stage Door Etiquette: If you’re planning to wait at the stage door to get an autograph, add another 30 to 45 minutes to your total "theater time."
- Dining Reservations: Never book a table for less than 3 hours after the curtain time. If the show starts at 7:00 PM, don't aim for a dinner earlier than 10:00 PM. You want to breathe, not sprint down 44th Street.
- Check the "Closing" Time: If you are catching a train at Grand Central or Penn Station, know that an 8:00 PM show usually lets out around 10:30 PM. Most trains have a 10:50 or 11:10 PM departure. It’s tight, but doable.
Knowing the length of your Broadway show isn't just about logistics; it’s about managing your own stamina. Some of the best theater is long and grueling, and some of the best is short and punchy. Just make sure you know which one you’ve bought a ticket for so you aren't checking your phone in the dark.