Phantom Closing? — Page 5

The Post article mentioned that the Shubert's briefly considered kicking them out for Some Like It Hot. Could they be the ones who put the pressure on to leave?

Do we have any ideas as to when tickets will go on sale for the final weeks?

God bless Hal Prince.

It'll transfer to any theater where Cameron and Seth can hack up the show and not pay royalties to Prince, Bjornson, and Lynne. I seem to remember Cameron has been dying to do this for years according to the rumor mill so the pandemic excuse seems perfect for his desire for cheapening his long runners. Either way, it will be so beyond devastating to know that this show is gone. It survived 9/11, Hurricane Sandy, the 2008 recession, the high crime of the late 80s/early 90s Times Square, I don't think it could handle losing Harold Prince. The show would never close as long as he was alive to protect it and take care of it as he so lovingly did every few months.

I've been planning a NY trip for November and had already purchased my ticket for a Thursday matinee, but after sharing this heartbreaking news with my husband (who knows how much this show means to me), he told me to buy tickets for the both of us for the Saturday evening performance, which I just did.

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that this is Cameron Mackintosh's doing. In London, the pandemic closed the show for him, allowing him to excise much of the original creative team's work and thereby fatten his wallet, under the guise of "We're taking this opportunity to tidy things up and put the shine back on the show".

In New York, no such opportunity has presented itself in a timely fashion, so he's closing it himself. I fully expect that he will eventually launch a replica of the cheap London production in NY, with the hope that it will sell to tourists who don't know what they're missing.

If I can get tickets, I will return for the anniversary and/or the final performance.

I am absolutely gutted.

Updated On: 4/17/24 at 05:42 PM

It's confirmed on the website. Interestingly, it does not say its closing but says "Phantom will play its final performance at the Majestic Theatre on Saturday February 18th, 2023." I don't know if thats the way its usually said for closings, but it does fit in with the idea of the cheaper production re-opening in another theatre.

Lot666 said: "Phantom4ever said: "The show is so near and dear to me that I could not imagine sitting through it knowing that it's going to be gone soon. And I don't want to give Cameron another penny. I'd rather start moving on now and come back to New York some day when it's a more distant memory."

If I may offer a bit of unsolicited advise, don't hurt yourself just to hurt that S.O.B. If you don't see it again, you WILL regret it. When it's gone, it's gone."

Ughhhhhhhh Lot666 you just made me cry at work! Dang! I haven't cancelled my December airfare but I did cancel my hotel. Maybe I could go see it again at Christmas, perhaps a couple times. I suppose for the rest of my life I will wish I could make such a trip.

Broadway will NEVER see a show with this amount of theatricality in terms of trap doors, actual set pieces, fly lines usage, etc.

Jordan I hope you're serious with that sentiment because if you're mocking somebody over their love of a piece of art.........

Completely shocked and saddened by this news. Phantom of the Opera is what made me fall in love with musicals three decades ago when I was just a girl in high school chorus learning to sing the songs. Our chorus sang almost the whole score for our end-of-year concert and I went to see it as soon is it came on tour near my town. After seeing it many times on tour, I decided to finally see it on Broadway last December. It was so beautiful and I’m so happy I got seats right under the chandelier. I have another trip planned this December and will have to see if I can fit it again again or maybe try to attend the anniversary or closing night, if that will even be possible. This calls for a few stiff drinks starting right now.