Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, directed by Harold Prince, will become the longest-running show in Broadway history at its 7,486th perfomance on Monday, January 9, 2006, breaking Cats' record.
The record-breaking night will begin with an early 6:30pm performance at The Majestic Theatre, the musical's home for its entire run. The performance will be followed by a one-night-only onstage presentation devised by the musical's creators to mark the historic occassion. Immediately following, guests will attend a Masked Ball in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
On Broadway since its debut on January 26, 1988, Phantom has grossed nearly $600 million, making it the highest-grossing show in Broadway history. The musical also becomes the first Broadway production to reach its Eighteenth Anniversary, which it will celebrate on Thursday, January 26, 2006.
The Phantom of the Opera has production design by the late Maria Bjornson, lighting by Andrew Bridge, and sound by Martin Levan.