Andrew Lloyd Webber responds to Mackintosh's Evening Standard article, says 'Phantom will re-open as soon as is possible'

Andrew Lloyd Webber: "As far as I'm concerned, Phantom will re-open as soon as is possible"

In a short tweet, the West End musical theatre impresario made a point to avoid the word "permanently" and instead stated the show would be re-opened "as soon as is possible." The comment was in response to Cameron Mackintosh's more pessimistic phrasing from yesterday, in which he wrote in an article for the Evening Standard that the show has had to "permanently" shut down but that he and Lloyd Webber were "determined to bring it [Phantom] back to London in the future."

Although ALW made no reference to the words "permanent" or "shutdown," it's unclear when exactly "as soon as is possible" actually means or how it will be defined. What is known, however, is that Phantom's London home, Her Majesty's Theatre, is in urgent need of renovations and that a period of extended closure is necessary.

When and if Phantom of the Opera returns, will it be the same?

Lloyd Webber stated that he will do his best to preserve the "brilliant original" version of this 33-year-old musical, though it is still uncertain what exact version fans will get when and if The Phantom of the Opera does return.

The hit musical is famed for its toe-tapping musical numbers, including "All I Ask of You" and "The Music of the Night." The plot follows a phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House and becomes enchanted by a young soprano opera singer named Christine.