Andrew Lloyd Webber Dedicates Final Broadway Performance of Phantom of the Opera to Late Son Nick
This curtain call was particularly moving for Andrew Lloyd Webber.
After 35 years on Broadway, his legendary musical The Phantom of the Opera held its final show at the Majestic Theatre in New York. And at the April 16 event, Lloyd Webber paid tribute to his late son Nick, who died in March at age 43 following a battle with gastric cancer.
As seen in a video shared by the official Phantom of the Opera on Broadway Instagram account, the composer told the audience, "I hope you won't mind if I dedicate this performance to my son Nick."
Looking back, Lloyd Webber and his ex-wife Sarah Brightman—who played Christine in the original Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera—recalled the role the musical played in Nick's life.
"When Andrew was writing it, he was right there," she shared while joining the cast on the stage, per the Associated Press. "So his son is with us. Nick, we love you very much."
The closing performance was attended by several stars, including Gayle King, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sara Bareilles and Glenn Close. Many also celebrated the show's decades-long run on social media.
"Happy trails to @phantomopera the longest running Broadway show in history!" Ariana DeBose wrote on Instagram. "What a legacy!"
According to NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt, the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera welcomed more than 20 million people and grossed more than $1 billion during its run. Ahead of its closing performance, Lloyd Webber reflected on the show's legacy.
"I just love musical theater," he told Lester Holt in an interview that aired April 14, "and I just don't think you'd ever find anything as theatrical as Phantom."
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