'The Phantom of the Opera' to close on Broadway after 35 years
MANILA, Philippines — Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit sensation "The Phantom of the Opera," the longest-running musical on Broadway, will be ending its run in February 2023.
The production was shut down at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, reopening in October 2021 but ticket sales wavered at the turn of the year coupled by the spread of the Omicron variant.
The show's producer Cameron Mackintosh, a frequent collaborator of Webber, vowed in a statement that "The Phantom of the Opera" would stage a Broadway comeback sometime in the future.
"There is no doubt that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masterpiece will continue to enchant audiences in London (West End) and around the world – and one day will return to Broadway,” said Mackintosh.
"The Phantom of the Opera" debuted on Broadyway's Majestic Theatre in January 1988 and has drawn audiences of all ages to watch the story of Christine, Raoul, and the titular phantom.
At the 1988 Tonys the production won seven awards including Best Musical, Best Direction for the late Hal Prince, and Best Performance by a Leading Actor (Musical) for Michael Crawford.
Other well-known musical by Webber include "Cats," "Evita," "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," and most-recently "Cinderella."
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