Yvonne Juris

The crowd exploded in cheers during The Phantom of the Opera’s Saturday matinee as the chandelier began its slow ascent to the domed ceiling of the Majestic Theatre, relishing a moment most would be seeing for the last time. The cast was also electric, delivering an exuberant and emotional performance that the audience was thrilled to be part of. The Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s beloved musical is lowering its curtain for good on Sunday, April 16. As Broadway’s longest-running show, it has served as the largest generator of income and jobs in Broadway and U.S. theatrical history, and has attracted audiences for decades.  Musical-theater fans were stunned in September when the show, which opened in 1988, announced that it would be ending its storied and record-breaking run at the Majestic Theatre this year. The musical’s haunting love story, iconic mask logo and soaring melodies—including “The Music of the Night” and “All I Ask of You”—have become part of the fabric of Broadway. Ahead of the closing, Mayor Eric Adams bestowed keys to the city on composer Lloyd Webber. Actor Sarah Brightman, who originated the lead role of rising star and soprano-in-distress Christine Daaé, was in attendance at the ceremony as well. “This key will be a treasured symbol of my deeply felt connection to the City of New York— the site of my greatest professional triumphs and some of my most profound personal joys,” he said in a statement. Photograph: Matthew Murphy It’s been a har