The Theater: Hail to Thee…

With its 1,4671th consecutive performance, Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit achieved the longest run of any straight play in London’s history. It had to play through months of robombing to overtake Charley’s Aunt, the title holder for 50 years; it will have to run more than another year and a half to catch Chu-Chin-Chow, London’s (and the world’s) longest-running musical—2,238 performances, 1916-21.