CAMERON MACKINTOSH

The masked man of Broadway is going out strong.

"The Phantom of the Opera," Broadway’s longest running show, is taking its final bow after 35 years. The final performance will be on February 18th, 2023.

Dozens of stars of musical theater gathered at a London theatre for a celebration titled “Old Friends” to raise money for the Stephen Sondheim Foundation, which will benefit young composers

Dozens of stars of musical theater gathered at a London theatre for a celebration titled “Old Friends” to raise money for the Stephen Sondheim Foundation, which will benefit young composers.

Stephen Sondheim, the songwriter who reshaped the American musical theater in the second half of the 20th century, has died.

LONDON – Herbert Kretzmer, the journalist and lyricist best known for his English-language adaptation of the musical Les Miserables, has died. Tributes poured in from giants of the London stage, including theatrical producer Cameron Mackintosh, singer Elaine Paige and lyricist Tim Rice. Les Miserables producer Mackintosh said Kretzmer was instrumental in bringing Victor Hugo's classic tale of defiance and redemption in early 19th century France to the stage in English in October 1985, five years after it had opened in Paris. Until a young British producer by the name of Cameron Mackintosh invited Kretzmer to tea in June 1984 and his life changed. Though the expanded English version of Les Miserables — it was never Les Mis for Kretzmer — had mixed reviews at the start, it would soon become one of the biggest successes of 20th century theater.

NEW YORK – Fans of Broadway will have to wait a little longer for shows to resume — until at least late May. Although an exact date for various performances to resume has yet to be determined, Broadway producers are now offering refunds and exchanges for tickets purchased for shows through May 30. "We are working tirelessly with multiple partners on sustaining the industry once we raise our curtains again,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, which represents producers. “Today the Broadway League made the difficult but responsible decision to put the safety and health of their workers and audience first. Producers, citing health and city authorities, previously extended the shutdown to June 7, then again to Sept. 6 and again to Jan. 3.

NEW YORK The shutdown on Broadway has been extended again until at least early January. Although an exact date for performances to resume has yet to be determined, Broadway producers are now offering refunds and exchanges for tickets purchased for shows through Jan. 3. The Broadway experience can be deeply personal but it is also, crucially, communal, said Thomas Schumacher, chairman of the board of The Broadway League, which represents producers. Producers, citing health and city authorities, previously extended the shutdown to June 7 and then again to Sept. 6. Broadway grossed $1.8 billion last season and attracted a record 15 million people.

Shops and outdoor spaces such as zoos are now starting to reopen, but indoor venues remain closed because of social distancing rules that require people to remain two meters (6 feet) apart. The government says it's reviewing the distance rule amid pressure retailers, restaurateurs and others to cut it to one meter (three feet). A study released Wednesday by research firm Oxford Economics projected that the U.K.s creative industries could lose 74 billion pounds ($93 million) in revenue this year and a fifth of the U.K.s 2 million creative-sector jobs could disappear. Norbury and other culture-sector leaders called on the government to set up a cultural renewal fund and continue support programs that have supported self-employed people and furloughed workers during the lockdown. The Treasury plans to scale back the programs in the next few months.