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'The Phantom of the Opera' extends its long Broadway goodbye

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This image released by The Publicity Office shows Ben Crawford during a performance of "The Phantom of the Opera," in New York. (Matthew Murphy/The Publicity Office via AP)

NEW YORK ā€“ The masked man of Broadway is going out strong.

ā€œThe Phantom of the Operaā€ ā€” Broadwayā€™s longest-running show ā€” has postponed its final performance by eight weeks, pushing its final curtain from February to April after ticket demand spiked. Last week, the show raked in an eye-popping $2,2 million with a full house.

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The musical ā€” a fixture on Broadway since 1988, weathering recessions, war and cultural shifts ā€” will now play its final Broadway performance on April 16. When it closes, it will have played 13,981 performances.

ā€œWe are all thrilled that not only the showā€™s wonderful fans have been snapping up the remaining tickets, but also that a new, younger audience is equally eager to see this legendary production before it disappears,ā€ lead producer Cameron Mackintosh said in a statement.

Producers said there would be no more postponements. ā€œThis is the only possible extension for the Broadway champion, as the theater will then be closed for major renovations after the showā€™s incredible 35-year run.ā€

Based on a novel by Gaston Leroux, ā€œPhantomā€ tells the story of a deformed composer who haunts the Paris Opera House and falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine. Andrew Lloyd Webberā€™s lavish songs include ā€œMasquerade,ā€ ā€³Angel of Music,ā€ ā€³All I Ask of Youā€ and ā€œThe Music of the Night.ā€

The closing of ā€œPhantomā€ would mean the longest-running show crown would go to ā€œChicago,ā€ which started in 1996. ā€œThe Lion Kingā€ is next, having begun performances in 1997.

Broadway took a pounding during the pandemic, with all theaters closed for more than 18 months. Some of the most popular shows ā€” ā€œHamilton,ā€ ā€œThe Lion Kingā€ and ā€œWickedā€ ā€” have rebounded well, but other shows have struggled. Breaking even usually requires a steady stream of tourists, especially for the costly ā€œPhantom,ā€ and visitors to the city haven't returned to pre-pandemic levels.


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