It was announced on September 18, 2022 that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s perennial musical Phantom of the Opera will be playing its last on February 18, 2023. The musical, which first took to the stage in 1988, will have celebrated its 35 anniversary just four weeks prior to closure and will have amassed a total of 13,925 performances in that time. On Broadway, the show has been seen by 19.8 million people and has grossed $1.3 billion. A global sensation, it has also played to 145 million people in 41 countries. With music by Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart, and a libretto by Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe, Phantom of the Opera (often known simply as ‘Phantom’) was an instant critical hit, winning the 1986 Olivier Award (for its West End production) and the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical. However, despite its worldwide popularity and enduring nature, the time has come for it to close.
“As a producer you dream that a show will run for ever. Indeed, my production of Andrew’s Cats proudly declared for decades ‘Now and Forever.’ Yet ‘Phantom’ has surpassed that show’s extraordinary Broadway run. But all shows do finally close,” said the show’s Broadway producer Cameron Mackintosh in a statement.
The Phantom of the Opera tells the story of a young, beautiful soprano, Christine, and the disfigured and brilliant masked composer who haunts the Paris Opera House, developing an obsession with the singer. A magical tale of mystery, terror, vengeance, love, and compassion, it has a timeless elegance and is responsible for some of Broadway’s greatest songs: “Masquerade”, “Angel of Music”, “All I Ask of You” and, of course, “The Music of the Night”.
After the announcement of its closure, Phantom of the Opera sold nearly $2 million worth of tickets in the first 24 hours.
Tickets are selling fast and seats are now limited. This is your LAST CHANCE to see this iconic, world famous and beloved Broadway opera.
It may be its time, but it still beloved among theatre-lovers the world over. As the chandelier falls and the curtain comes down, it may by the end of an era, but the Phantom of the Opera will always be thought of fondly.
