"As Phantom of the Opera’s long run ends, performers reflect and say goodbye: ‘It was the show that everybody wanted to see’." By The Globe And Mail

No Broadway show is meant to last forever, though it once seemed that The Phantom of the Opera might be the one exception to that rule. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical about the universal desire for love first dazzled New York audiences in 1988, two years after it opened in the West End, and it quickly became a cultural phenomenon.

Despite decades of success and its title as the longest-running Broadway show, Phantom was not immune to the effects of the pandemic, and it was announced in September that it would soon come to a close. On April 16, 35 years and nearly 14,000 performances since its opening night, the exceptionally large cast, crew and orchestra will make magic happen in New York City’s Majestic Theatre one last time.

In honour of its impending final performance and the legacy it leaves behind, The Globe spoke to 10 Canadians who’ve been involved with the production – either on Broadway or in Toronto’s 10-year run of the show – about what it is that makes Phantom so enduring…

For the full article, see here.