The longest-running Broadway musical ever, The Phantom of the Opera, has announced its final performance will be February 18, 2023. It would not surprise me if this announcement sparks a surge of folks who want to see it again or even for the first time. And it would not surprise me if that surge caused the closing date to be delayed. But the end is probably in sight.
As we noted here, the next longest-running musical — the revival of Chicago — is 3,643 performances behind Phantom. At eight performances a week, that means it would take a little more than 455 weeks (or close to nine years) after Phantom closes for Chicago to tie that record.