Closing Due to Declining Ticket Sales
Throughout its Broadway run, The Phantom of the Opera sold 19.8 million tickets, grossing $1.3 billion in total. However, recently, ticket sales have started to fall. Still, the show was an emblem of Broadway and held massive appeal for international travelers. On the other hand, locals had already seen the show at some point during its 35-year run, and production costs rose even higher than they already were.
The Phantom of the Opera Will Remain a Sensation
The Phantom of the Opera is clearly still a sought-after play, and it shows. The upcoming Broadway closure prompted ticket sales to skyrocket and 24 hours after the initial announcement, the cost of a ticket rose up to $2 million. The Phantom of the Opera show is based on a French novel of the same name written by Gaston Leroux in 1910. The acclaimed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the music for the show, including iconic numbers like “The Music of the Night” and “All I Ask of You.”
The Phantom of the Opera debuted in London’s West End in 1986. It opened at Broadway’s Majestic Theatre some two years later and won seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Harold Prince won one for directing with performers Judy Kaye (Carlotta Guidicelli) and Michael Crawford (the Phantom) winning in the Best Featured Actress and Best Actor categories. Joel Schumacher directed a film adaptation of Phantom in 2004.
After The Phantom of the Opera closes in February 2023, Chicago will become the longest-running active Broadway show. It debuted its performance in 1996 and is followed by The Lion King, which opened in 1997.