The Phantom Of The Opera: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical to close on Broadway after 35 years

The Phantom Of The Opera – Broadway’s longest-running show – is scheduled to close its doors after 35 years.

The iconic musical, which has been an fixture since 1988, will play its final performance on 18 February 2023, a spokesperson said.

Based on a novel by Gaston Leroux, Phantom tells the story of a deformed composer who haunts the Paris Opera House and falls madly in love with an innocent young soprano, Christine.

Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber’s lavish songs include Masquerade, Angel Of Music, All I Ask Of You and The Music Of The Night.

The Phantom Of The Opera, Broadway’s longest-running show, is scheduled to close in February 2023,.

Producer Cameron Mackintosh said in a statement: "As a producer you dream that a show will run forever. Indeed, my production of Andrew's Cats proudly declared for decades Now and Forever.

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"Yet Phantom has surpassed that show's extraordinary Broadway run. But all shows do finally close."

The first production opened in London in 1986 and since then the show has been seen by more than 145 million people in 183 cities and performed in 17 languages over 70,000 performances.

On Broadway alone, the musical has played more than 13,500 performances to 19 million people at The Majestic Theatre.

Phantom’s closure would mean the longest-running show crown would go to Chicago, which started in 1996.

The Lion King is next is the list, having begun performances in 1997.

Broadway suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic, with all theatres closed for more than 18 months.

The number visitors to the New York is yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, which has been suggested as the Phantom has struggled to break even.