'Phantom of the Opera' ends record run with final Broadway bow

After 35 years and almost 14,000 performances, the curtain fell for the final time Sunday on the longest-running show in Broadway history -- "The Phantom of the Opera." In the run-up to the final performance this week, the last tickets were selling for more than $500 on booking sites. The accolade for longest-running musical on Broadway now belongs to "Chicago," which premiered in 1996, ahead of "The Lion King," which opened the following year. After 35 years and almost 14,000 performances, the curtain fell for the final time Sunday on the longest-running show in Broadway history -- "The Phantom of the Opera." The accolade for longest-running musical on Broadway now belongs to "Chicago," which premiered in 1996, ahead of "The Lion King," which opened the following year.