"Phantom of the Opera," Broadway's longest running show, set to close in 2023
NEW YORK -- "The Phantom of the Opera," Broadway's longest-running show, will close within months.
The announcement caught theater-goers CBS2's Alecia Reid spoke to by surprise.
"I can't imagine Broadway without it," Hell's Kitchen resident Jack Weinkselbaum said.
On Feb. 18, 2023, the curtain will fall for the last time.
"We all thought this show was literally going to run forever. That mask up [on the marquee] behind me has been the symbol of this city for longer than most of us who see the show now have been alive," said Jacob Persily, from Marlboro, New Jersey.
When the show opened on Jan. 26, 1988, Ronald Reagan was president and Ed Koch was the mayor of New York. Since then, 19.5 million people have stepped foot through the doors at the iconic Majestic Theatre.
That theater is filled with 34 years of memories, including last October's block party to mark the show's re-opening after the pandemic forced Broadway shows to close for over a year.
The show will celebrate its 35th anniversary prior to its closing.
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"The Phantom of the Opera" holds a special place in musical theater student Madison Moore's heart.
"It's always been super important in my family's life. Like, they played 'All I Ask of You' at my parents' wedding," she said.
People from all over the world make their way to New York to see "Phantom." A tour group from the United Kingdom saw it for the first time Thursday.
"Never seen opera in me life, and last night, I was just blown away," said tourist Sue Latham.
Annika Low, from Fort George, has been preparing to audition for the last decade.
"I moved here kind of to audition for 'Phantom,' so this is a very incredibly devastating day for me," she said.
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The show will close after nearly 14,000 performances -- a record.
"I'm just gonna miss it forever," Moore said.
"We're just excited to see it before it ends," said Ryan Iverson, from Ottawa.
People were stopping by the box office after Friday's announcement, looking to score tickets for the final show, but they'll have to wait just a little bit longer; tickets for the final four weeks of performances are not yet available.
Meanwhile, international productions in London and Australia will continue to run, and a Mandarin translation of "Phantom" will be debuting in China next year.