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The Phantom of the Opera, Broadway’s longest-running run, is reportedly scheduled to end in February 2023, the biggest victim of a post-pandemic drop in theater attendance in New York.
The musical, which has been on Broadway since 1988, will have its final Broadway show in February, according to multiple reports including The New York Times and The New York Post, which first reported the news.
A spokesperson for the show did not respond to questions from The Associated Press.
It’s an expensive musical that requires elaborate sets and costumes, as well as a massive cast and orchestra.
Since the show reopened after the pandemic, box office receipts have fluctuated — up to more than $1 million a week, but also down to around $850,000. Last week, it hit $867,997, and producers may have seen the writing on the wall.
Based on the novel by Gaston Leroux, The Phantom tells the story of a deformed composer who haunts the Paris Opera and is madly in love with the innocent young soprano Christine.
Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s extravagant songs include The Masquerade, Music Angels, Everything I Ask You and Music of the Night.
The first production opened in London in 1986, and since then the show has been watched by more than 145 million people in 183 cities and performed over 70,000 performances in 17 languages.
On Broadway alone, the musical played more than 13,500 performances at The Majestic Theatre for 19 million people.
The closure of Phantom means the title of longest show, which began in 1996, goes to Chicago. Next was The Lion King, which began performing in 1997.
Broadway has been hit hard during the pandemic, with all theaters closed for more than 18 months. Break-even usually requires a steady stream of tourists, especially Mirage.
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