Broadway’s longest-running show ‘Phantom of the Opera’ to close in February after 35 years

21 September 2022, 11:03 | Updated: 21 September 2022, 13:12

All I Ask Of You | Phantom London Orchestra

After a 35-year run, Lloyd Webber’s ‘Phantom of the Opera’ will leave Broadway next year.

The curtain will fall on Broadway’s longest-running show, The Phantom of the Opera, next year, less than a month after its 35th anniversary.

A spokesperson confirmed that the musical’s final performance – the culmination of 13,925 total performances at New York’s Majestic Theatre – would be on 18 February 2023.

“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’,” producer Cameron Mackintosh said in a statement. “Yet ‘Phantom’ has surpassed that show’s extraordinary Broadway run. But all shows do finally close.”

Since opening in 1988 on Broadway, The Phantom of the Opera has survived recessions, city riots and unrest, and war, but it’s been stipulated that the show never fully recovered from the 18-month coronavirus shutdown.

The musical’s box office grosses have fluctuated since reopening, hitting over $1m (£876,000) a week but also dipping to $850,000 (£744,600).

Read more: First Black actor to play Christine in Phantom of the Opera makes Broadway history

First opening in London in 1986, The Phantom of the Opera has been seen by more than 145 million people in 183 cities and performed in 17 languages over 70,000 performances.

More than 19 million people have seen the production at Broadway’s Majestic Theatre.

While some shows including Hamilton, The Lion King and Wicked have bounced back, others have struggled to bring back pre-pandemic audience numbers, with tourism numbers still down on where they were in 2019.