NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) – The cultural goliath Phantom of the Opera will have its last curtain call tonight (April 16), as the Phantom’s mask goes dark in Times Square.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s melodramatic story of a love triangle in The Paris Opera House between the mesmerizing soprano, Christine, her beau and a misunderstood, deformed, masked composer and voice teacher has reached the end of its Broadway run.
After 35 years and 14,000 performances, Phantom of the Opera says goodbye. The posters advertising the show with the iconic Phantom mask and single rose will be removed from Times Square, and the Majestic Theatre, which the Phantom has called home since 1988, will sit empty.
In September 2022, it was announced the chandelier would fall for the last time on Saturday, February 18, 2023. However, due to an uptick in ticket sales, the show was extended until today, Sunday (April 16).
“What a phenomenal response there has been to the showing ending, British producer Cameron Mackintosh said. “We’ve sold out virtually everything that we have on sale.”
News of its closure – the longest-running show on Broadway, hit the industry and fans alike off-guard. However, according to CNN, after the show returned post-COVID, its weekly running costs approached $1 million, and if often wouldn’t gross enough to cover the costs of production – thus making it impossible for such a lavish production to maintain its place on 44th Street without losing money.
Mackintosh said in a statement, “Now you look at a $1 million week at the box office, and you think, ‘Oh, thank God, we’ve broken even.’ That’s a huge mental shift.”
The musical, best known for songs like “Think of Me,” “The Music of the Night,” and “All I Ask of You,” was nominated for 10 Tony Awards in 1988. It won seven: best musical, best performance by a leading actor in a musical (Michael Crawford), best performance by a featured actress in a musical (Judy Kaye), best direction of a musical (Harold Prince), best scenic design, best costume design and best lighting design. Originating the characters of Phantom and Christine were Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman, respectively.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Mackintosh said, “Gaston Leroux’s opera ghost may be disappearing for now, but there is no doubt that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masterpiece will continue to enchant audiences in London and around the world – and one day will return to Broadway.”
Until then, Phantom won’t retreat to the cellar of The Paris Opera House, it will likely continue to tour, and licensing rights are available for amateur theater companies.
Tonight, however, the Phantom abandons the theatre he’s haunted for 35 years, and the “great white way” will never be the same.
