The short answer: most Broadway musicals run about two and a half hours including one intermission, and plays run anywhere from about 80 minutes to well over three hours. The longer answer matters when you are booking dinner, a train home or a babysitter, so here is how to read a running time and plan around it.
Typical running times
| Kind of show | Usual length | Intermission |
|---|---|---|
| Big musical | 2 hr 30 min to 2 hr 50 min | One, about 15 minutes |
| Smaller or newer musical | 1 hr 30 min to 2 hr 30 min | Often one; some none |
| Comedy or one-act play | 80 to 100 minutes | Usually none |
| Full-length drama | 2 to 3 hours | One, sometimes two |
| Epic play | 3 hours or more, sometimes in two parts | One or more |
The running time a show publishes includes its intermission. Every show page on Office Broadway prints it the same way, for example "2 hr 45 min, one intermission", and says plainly when a show has not published one yet.
Why running times change
During previews, the first weeks of public performances before opening night, a show is still being edited. Songs get cut, scenes are rewritten and the running time can move by ten or fifteen minutes. That is why a new show sometimes has no published running time at all for its first performances. Once a show opens, the running time is stable.
Curtain times
Most evening performances start at 7:00 PM, 7:30 PM or 8:00 PM, with many shows starting earlier on Tuesdays. Matinees are commonly at 2:00 PM on Wednesdays and Saturdays and around 3:00 PM on Sundays. Schedules vary by show and by season, and most shows have one dark day a week, often Monday, so check the schedule on the official site before you plan the day.
To work out when you will be back on the street, add the running time to the curtain time and allow ten minutes for the curtain call and the crowd. A 7:00 PM musical of 2 hours 30 minutes lets out around 9:40 PM.
Arriving late
Shows start close to the printed time. Latecomers are usually held at the back until a suitable break, which in a musical can be the end of the first number and in a tense play can be intermission. A show with no intermission may not seat latecomers at all. Arrive 20 to 30 minutes early: there are bag checks at the door, lines for the restrooms and a lot of stairs in older theaters.
Making the most of intermission
Fifteen minutes goes quickly. The restroom lines are long, especially in older houses where facilities are downstairs, so go early or wait until the very end. Many theaters let you order intermission drinks before the show starts so they are waiting for you. Re-entry is fine during intermission, but leave the theater only if you are sure you can get back in before the second act.
With children
Two and a half hours is a long sit for young children, and most shows publish an age recommendation. Every show page here lists it next to the running time. Children of any age usually need their own ticket, so check the show's policy before you buy.
Want something short tonight? On the What's playing page, tick "Under 150 minutes" to see only the shorter shows.