"Follies". Photo by Joan Marcus.

“It’s a hit. It’s a hit. It’s a palpable hit.”

OK, I know that’s from the wrong Stephen Sondheim show but it seemed appropriate, so sue me. (And that’s from Guys and Dolls…someone stop me.) Producers of the acclaimed revival of Follies announced that last week’s gross of $1,122,778 is the best tally ever for a Sondheim-scored show on Broadway. While one might quibble about the exclusion of West Side Story and other score collaborations in order to make the claim, it is nonetheless an impressive take for a show that has a long history of breaking hearts but not box-office records.

It also got me wondering about the comparative success of other shows in the Sondheim canon. Given that dollar figures are hard to compare given inflation and ticket prices (and my status as a Theater and not a Math major), let’s take a look at which of his shows (again, among musicals with his score and lyrics) have had the longest and shortest runs. Quick guesses? Drumroll please…

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