The Phantom waved him over to stand beside him, Riddle and Kouatchou.

Crawford was unable to sing because of a bacterial infection but was cheered at the curtain call, stepping to the side of the stage. In addition to Riddle, the New York production said goodbye with Emilie Kouatchou as Christine and Laird Mackintosh stepping in for Ben Crawford as the Phantom. Webber's lavish songs include 'Masquerade,' 'Angel of Music' and 'All I Ask of You.' It's going to be a great night,' said John Riddle just before dashing inside to play Raoul for the final time.īased 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. 'If there ever was a bang, we're going out with a bang. Nina Westervelt / Variety via Getty Images Sarah Brightman, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh at the closing performance of 'Phantom of the Opera' held at Majestic Theatre on April 16, 2023, in New York City. The curtain call Sunday showed how out of step 'Phantom' is with the rest of Broadway but also how glorious a big, splashy musical can be. But the prolonged pandemic may have been the last straw: It's a costly musical to sustain, with elaborate sets and costumes as well as a large cast and orchestra. 26, 1988 - has weathered recessions, war, terrorism and cultural shifts.

The musical - a fixture on Broadway since opening on Jan. 'The one question I keep getting asked again and again - will the Phantom return? Having been a producer for over 55 years, I've seen all the great musicals return, and 'Phantom' is one of the greatest,' he said.

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