'Phantom of the Opera' takes final Broadway bow with tears, chandeliers – and a vow to return soon

NEW YORK – It’s not every night that you see a chandelier take a bow.

But at Sunday’s closing performance of "The Phantom of the Opera," the world's most famous light fixture made a final, rousing descent during the show's curtain call, earning thunderous applause from the Majestic Theatre audience.

"As the Phantom commands, we must salute our luminous star!" producer Cameron Mackintosh proclaimed amid a touching tribute to the cast, crew and creatives who helped make the gothic musical a record-breaking phenomenon. 

USA TODAY was on the scene with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber as he bid adieu to Broadway's longest-running show after 35 years and nearly 14,000 performances.

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Stars came out in full force for the last performance of "Phantom," which tells the story of a masked composer who haunts a Paris opera house and falls in love with a young singer named Christine Daaé.

Glenn Close was spotted grabbing champagne during intermission, and Lin-Manuel Miranda snapped selfies and Sara Bareilles chatted with fellow theatergoers. Gayle King filmed the cast's final bows on her smartphone, not long before Webber joined Sarah Brightman – his former partner and the show's original Christine – for a moving curtain call speech. 

Late last month, Webber's eldest son, Nicholas, died at 43 after a battle with gastric cancer. "I hope you won't mind if I dedicate this performance to my son," Webber said onstage. "When he was a little boy, he heard some of this music and he loved it." 

"Yes, he did," Brightman said. "When Andrew was writing it, he was right there, so his soul is with us. Nick, we love you very much." 

The performance itself was also highly emotional. Emilie Kouatchou, the first Black actress to play Christine full time on Broadway, smiled through tears as she received a midshow standing ovation for her gorgeous rendition of "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again." The show's heart-tugging last moments were met with resounding sniffles from the audience, while iconic props such as the Phantom's boat and monkey music box were greeted with whoops and cheers. 

The chandelier has descended on 'The Phantom of the Opera' after 35 years on Broadway

'The Phantom of the Opera' is the 'grandfather of Broadway' 

On the red carpet before the performance, cast members past and present hailed "Phantom" for its astounding legacy. The show arrived in New York in 1988 as part of the "British invasion" of Broadway, helping usher in a new age of megamusicals with spectacular set pieces and thumping pop-rock scores. Directed by Hal Prince, the production won seven Tony Awards, including best musical, and its songs have been memorably covered by everyone from Barbra Streisand to Josh Groban. 

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"This is like the grandfather of Broadway," says John Riddle, who plays Christine's suitor Raoul. "It's the standard for what the type of scale a show can be. It's the end of an era." 

"It certainly did change what a Broadway musical can be," adds Laird Mackintosh, who stepped in to play the Phantom for principal Ben Crawford, who was out sick and on vocal rest. "It has a wow factor and a magic and a theatricality that hasn't changed since the '80s. It's still an incredibly potent piece of theater." 

'It's only a matter of time' until 'Phantom' returns to New York

As with many other shows, ticket sales for "Phantom" lagged when Broadway reopened after COVID-19. But the musical got a massive box-office boost when Mackintosh and Webber announced its closing, earning a record $3 million in a single week last month and playing to standing-room-only audiences. 

"It's just amazing what has happened in the last few months," Webber said during the confetti-filled curtain call. "I don't think any of us thought the 'Phantom' would go out with quite the bang that it has. Maybe it'll come back – you never know." 

Mackintosh similarly teased the show's inevitable New York return, saying, "It's only a matter of time." 

"The one question I keep getting asked again and again – will the Phantom return?" Mackintosh said onstage. "Having been a producer for over 55 years, I’ve seen all the great musicals return. And 'Phantom' is one of the greatest." 

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The music of the night is more powerful than ever, judging by the hundreds of fans in "Phantom" masks and T-shirts who waited for hours outside the Majestic Theatre on Sunday. The show has even gained popularity on TikTok, thanks in part to Webber's playful presence on the platform. 

"I don't feel it's the end," Brightman said on the red carpet. "It's become a classic, and you know this because you watch all the new generations coming up and they're really enjoying it. The fact that so many people from this generation want to see this, it means it's going to be back."