The Phantom Gobbles up Cats

It took almost 18 years, but after its 7,486th performance last night (photo of the crowd from above from Rion), the Phantom of the Opera became Broadway's longest running show, surpassing Cats. After originally opening in London, Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Phantom' made it to Broadway's Majestic Theater on January 26, 1988. Now trailing 'Phantom' on the list is Lloyd Webber's Cats, Les Miserables, A Chorus Line and Oh! Calcutta. Frankly, we're a little disappointed that we don't see Starlight Express on that list because we loved it! It was also a Lloyd Webber classic.

Playbill.com has some fun facts about the Phantom of the Opera's run: an audience of 11 million, $600 million in ticket sales, 11 Phantoms but only 3 original actors left, 476 miles travelled by the chandelier, 1,424,250 quarter teaspoons of shot powder used, and 6,899 ounces of liquid fog.

Have you seen 'Phantom' and do you think anything will eclipse it? Or do you think it's time to put an old dog out of its misery.