October 10, 2022

SAN JOSE,CALIF. — On September 17, 2022 it was announced that Phantom of the Opera will be closed on Broadway after 35 years this past weekend due to post COVID-19 ticket sales.

Phantom of the Opera is set to retire on Broadway after 35 years of business due to a significant drop in post COVID-19 ticket sales. Phantom of the Opera is set to play its final performance on Saturday, February 18, 2023 after 35 years and approximately 14,000 performances.

Since 1988, Phantom of the opera has hit the stage for approximately 14,000 performances and 130 cast members each performance. In its history 16 actors have been cast as the lead role of the Phantom. The musical is the longest running Broadway show in history with 35 years of production and was beloved by all who watched, selling 19.8 million tickets, resulting in a gross sum of 1.3 billion dollars.

Phantom of the Opera premiered on October 9, 1986 in London’s West End and premiered on Broadway in New York in 1988. Since then it has won a total of seven Tony Awards. Phantom of the Opera on Broadway is based on the horror novel by Gaston Leroux and tells the titular story of a masked phantom who lurks in the depths of the Paris Opera House and falls in love with his protege opera singer Christina Daee.

Although Phantom of the Opera is to close on Broadway in February 2023, its repurposed shows in other countries will still be continuing production. Such as the Phantom production in London, which paused showings in 2020 temporarily due to the pandemic but has since recontinued the show. Other productions of Phantom of the Opera are also available for showings in China and Australia, along with a developing production in the Spanish language by Antonio Banderas.