The magic and the moonlight are over.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s signature musical, “Phantom of the Opera,” will play its final show on February 18th, 2023. This will be shortly after its 35th anniversary on Broadway.
The lack of tourists in New York has killed “Phantom” because no self-respecting New Yorker or theatergoer has ever had any interest in it. The star of “Phantom,” after all, is a chandelier.
As cheesy as the show is, “Phantom” has played an important part of New York’s theater life. It offered steady employment over the years to thousands of cast and crew. Many actors relied on it as a fallback when other work was unavailable.
But the pandemic stopped it in its tracks. When “Phantom” returned the audience was absent. Frankly, I got experience the problem this week when I tried to book a hotel room for someone. The prices are astronomical. I’m guessing the fear of getting COVID isn’t all that’s keeping international visitors away from New York.
“Phantom” is just the latest show to throw in the towel. “Come from Away” is shutting down soon. “The Music Man” will end on December 31st. Other shows like “Phantom” not making $1 million a week will have to consider this path also. I’d be worrying about the Tony winning musical, “A Strange Loop.” which was down to $605,903 last week. Apparently there’s not much of an audience for that one, and it’s in decline week by week.
The “Phantom” news was first reported by the New York Post.
