BROADWAY'S longest-running musical ‘Phantom of the Opera’ is scheduled to shut down due to the drop in audiences during the pandemic.
The final performance is scheduled to take place on February 18, shortly after its 35th anniversary in January 2023.
The Andrew Lloyd Webber musical had become another victim of lower audience turnout since the pandemic shut down the Theatre District two years ago.
Despite a solid bounce rate last autumn, the number of audiences did not increase to its pre-pandemic levels. This resulted in the production being unable to keep up with the high cost of running the show, according to reports.
The musical apparently has been losing around US$1 million (around RM4.54 million) a month.
Although the musical reportedly made US$867,997 last week, it is not adequate to sustain the large cast and crew, who were reportedly told of the decision on Friday.
‘Phantom of the Opera’ has been performed in over 180 cities, by more than 145 million people since its debut in London in 1986. It has been performed more than 13,700 times as believed.
It was also reported that the musical has been seen by nearly 20 million people on Broadway alone. It was adapted into a movie musical back in 2004 that garnered several awards.
The London production which came before New York's production also shut down two years ago before returning with a smaller orchestra and other reconfigurations.
In Australia, a production opened its doors for the first time last month. While a Mandarin version is set to start in China next year and a Spanish version is also on its way.
It was also reported that the New York crews are preparing for a massive celebration for its 35th anniversary like it did back in 2018 during its 30th celebrations.
It is also believed that the show’s creators – Andrew Lloyd Webber, Harold Smith Prince, and Sir Cameron Anthony Mackintosh – will be putting on a light show on the Empire State Building for this last anniversary.
Several other Broadway shows have also recently closed, as reported, with some of them out of the blue. They include Dear Evan Hansen, American Buffalo, Plaza Suite, Macbeth, The Minutes, POTUS, Tina, and Come From Away. – The Vibes, September 17, 2022
