Phantom to Close on Broadway

 

Norm Lewis as the Phantom of the Opera. Photo: Matthew Murphy

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA will conclude its history-making run in February 2023.  The longest-running show in Broadway history, the New York production will first celebrate its unprecedented 35th Anniversary on Jan. 26. It will then play an additional four weeks towards its final performance – its colossal 13,925th – on Saturday, Feb. 18, allowing one of the most romantic musicals in Broadway history to end its run during Valentine’s Week. 

Directed by the late theater legend Harold Prince, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA plays at The Majestic Theatre (245 West 44th Street), the musical’s New York home for its entire run.  As much a part of the city landscape as the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, the blockbuster phenomenon has long been a New York City landmark.  Widely considered one of the most beautiful and spectacular productions in history, the musical set the bar with its lavish sets and costumes, large cast and Broadway’s largest orchestra – a perfect match for its sumptuous score and classic love story.

Producer Cameron Mackintosh said today, “As a British producer who has been lucky enough to have been producing in New York for over 40 consecutive years, it has been an unparalleled honour to have presented the longest-running musical in Broadway’s history, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.  That this legendary show has thrilled New York for nearly 35 phenomenal years is quite astounding to me. 

 As a producer you dream that a show will run forever.  Indeed, my roduction 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, and after considerable discussion between The Shuberts, The Really Useful Group, Andrew and myself, we concluded that the right time for PHANTOM  was after the show’s 35th birthday on February 18 – a double celebration of PHANTOM’s phenomenal success. 

This production has proved to be the greatest triumph for Broadway’s legendary director and producer, Hal Prince, as well as Britain’s celebrated choreographer Dame Gillian Lynne and the inspired Norwegian designer, Maria Björnson, who are all sadly no longer with us.    It is impossible to thank enough the thousands of talented American artists and musicians who have performed so brilliantly in this production.  The staff at the Shubert’s Majestic Theatre have been extraordinary as have all our creative teams, who have lovingly nurtured the show so magnificently over the years. 

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.  

Our gratitude to American audiences falling in love with The Phantom is infinite.” 

The leaders of The Shubert Organization first fell in love with THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA when they saw an early presentation of the first act in June 1985, at Andrew Lloyd Webber’s annual Sydmonton Festival. Their enthusiasm only intensified when PHANTOM made its triumphant debut in London in 1986. They immediately determined that the future Broadway production must be presented at The Majestic, their 1,655-seat theatre on West 44th Street, home of the original productions of South Pacific, Carousel and The Music Man “It took some serious trans-Atlantic lobbying by the Shubert top brass – Gerald Schoenfeld, Bernard B. Jacobs and Philip J. Smith – to win the day and ultimately get the show into The Majestic. They happily spent millions of dollars for the theatre to accommodate PHANTOM’s unique set,” stated Shubert Chairman and CEO, Robert E. Wankel. “Of course, PHANTOM became a phenomenal success, breaking all records to become the longest-running show in Broadway history. On behalf of The Shubert Organization, I want to express our gratitude to Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cameron Mackintosh, The Really Useful Group and Hal Prince for lighting up the stage of The Majestic Theatre for 35 glorious years.”

The on-sale date for tickets for the final four weeks of performances – including the 35th Anniversary, Valentine’s Day and the final performance –  as well as details on all celebrations, will be announced at a future date.

 During its New York run, PHANTOM shattered every possible record for advance sales, capitalization, total gross, total attendance and longevity.  It became the longest-running show in Broadway history on January 9, 2006 – when it surpassed the nearly 18-year run of Cats – and has since almost doubled that figure.  The production’s nearly 14,000 performances have been seen by 19.5 million people and grossed a staggering $1.3 billion.  Indeed, PHANTOM has been the largest single generator of income and jobs in Broadway and U.S. theatrical history.  In the New York production alone, an estimated 6,500 people (including 450 actors) have been employed during its more than three decades run. 

The musical also changed the landscape for touring across the country – inspiring the renovation of theaters and opera houses across the country to house it and revitalizing the economies of countless U.S. cities.  The three original U.S. national tours combined grossed over $1.5 billion, playing 216 engagements in 77 cities for an unprecedented total of 36.5 years and over 14,500 performances to 31 million people – making it the most successful and continuously-touring show in US history.