By Mark McKee | Posted 10 hours ago Before people flocked to movie theaters to see the latest stories for entertainment, auditoriums were opened to hear the singing and dancing of fairy tales told by stage actors. As theater evolved from ancient Greece, through William Shakespeare, and finally to Lin Manuel Miranda, there were a few iconic, industry-changing plays that stood the test of time. According to Deadline, one of the most iconic plays of all time, Phantom of the Opera, will bring its curtains down for the last time after 35 years on Broadway. Phantom of the Opera has been performed at the Shubert Organisation’s Majestic Theater on Broadway since its first opening in 1988 to rave reviews and rave reviews in London. Former Facilities Manager Fred Olson revealed that in order to bring the show to New York, despite major productions like The Music Man, the Majestic Theater had to undergo over a million dollars in structural renovations to create a stage and auditorium for to support production. After all the hard work to prepare the building, the focus turned to costume changes and choreography to adapt the show to the eight steps the shoed performers would have to traverse during the performance. The gamble paid off hugely for the theater as it celebrated its 10,000th performance in 2012, making it the longest-running show in Broadway history and garnering standing ovations along the way. After winning the Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Musical and Musical of the Year in London in 1986, she moved to New York, where she cleaned house, winning Tonys for Best Musical, Leading Role, Featured Actress, Director, Set Designer, Costumes. Designer and Lighting Designer. Phantom of the Opera went on to win awards in Los Angeles, Toronto, Stockholm and Melbourne as it exploded across the global theater industry. The production featured music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart and a libretto by Lloyd Webber and Richard Stilgoe and was directed by Harold Prince. The story follows Christine, an ambitious schoolgirl watched and trained by the Phantom of the Opera, living in the walls and haunting the show until Christine is given the lead role. The original Majestic on Broadway cast of Phantom of the Opera starred Lloyd Webber’s wife Sarah Brightman as Christine Daaé, Michael Crawford as the Half-Masked Phantom, Steve Barton as Raoul, Cris Groenendaal as Monsieur André, Nicholas Wyman as Monsieur Firmin, Judy Carlotta, David Romano as Piangi, Leila Martin as Madame Giry and Elisa Heinsohn as Meg Giry. Like much of the entertainment industry, Phantom of the Opera has fallen on hard times thanks to the devastation of the entertainment and tourism industry by Covid-19. The result of racing and competition from new musicals is now becoming evident on many of the different avenues, including Broadway losing one of the most iconic shows in theater history. The Majestic announced on its website the closing of the show, with tickets on sale until January 22, 2023, with a final block of tickets being released to end a Broadway mainstay.
