HIStory was made at the Lyric Theatre this week, when the ever-popular Thriller Live became the theatre's longest-running show in 125 years.
Notching up a crotch-grabbing 1,815 performances, Thriller Live, the celebratory musical featuring the hits of Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 has broken the previous record set by Five Guys Named Moe in the 1990s.
Nica Burns, co-owner of the Nimax chain of theatres took to the stage at the end of the record-breaking performance and announced to an excited audience, "You are part of history being made tonight. Michael Jackson won so many amazing awards and set some impressive records in his lifetime and he continues to do that today! This is my theatre, and I'm delighted to announce that Thriller Live has become the longest running show in its 125-year history."
"London theatregoers and visitors to the city have truly embraced Thriller Live," added Thriller Live producer Paul Walden. "It is incredibly heartwarming that Thriller Live, now in its fifth year, is playing to some of the most enthusiastic audiences of its West End run, and it is thanks to those audiences that we have been able to smash this record. Recent sales have exceeded our expectations, telling us that the West End does not want to say goodbye to Thriller Live any time soon!"
The musical extravaganza, which shies away from telling a rigid story in favour of throwing all of its considerable energy into making the most of Jackson's extraordinary catalogue of work, has been blaming it on the boogie in the West End since early 2009. When Jackson died later that year it became a place of pilgrimage for fans of the singer.
Thriller Live has been seen by more than 2.3 million people in 26 countries and is booking at the Lyric Theatre until March 2014.
We're slightly disappointed Nica Burns didn't bust a few signature MJ moves or wear a single white sequin glove and white socks for the occasion, however :)
Shamone!