Photo Coverage: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Earns Spot in Guinness Book of World Records!

Honoring excellence in theater, Guinness World Records recognizes the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "The Phantom of the Opera" as the 'Longest-Running Show (musical or play) on Broadway', having reached the unprecedented milestone of 10,000 performances at The Majestic Theatre in New York earlier this year.

The cast celebrated this special honor on Thursday, and BroadwayWorld was there to bring you full photo coverage below!

"I am absolutely thrilled that "The Phantom of the Opera" on Broadway has made it into the 2013 edition of Guinness World Records," said composer Andrew Lloyd Webber.  "I would like to thank the performers, musicians and crew who have worked on the show over the years and the millions of fans who have come to see it.   "Phantom" is the longest-running show in the history of Broadway and celebrates its twenty-fifth birthday next year, that makes me immensely proud." 

Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera," directed by theater legend Harold Prince and produced by Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Company, Inc. is the longest-running show in Broadway history.  The New York production celebrated an unprecedented 24 Years in January 2012 and became the first Broadway show to reach 10,000 performances in February 2012.  It remains a box office champ and continues to play with no end in sight, on track to become the first show in Broadway history to celebrate 25 Years in January 2013.

In addition to its unprecedented longevity records, "Phantom" is also the most successful entertainment venture of all time, with revenues higher (in excess of $5.6 billion) than any film or stage play in history, including Titanic, Star Wars and far surpassing the world's highest-grossing film Avatar (at $2.8 billion). Worldwide, over 65,000 performances have been seen by 130 million people in 27 countries and 145 cities in 13 languages. 

Guinness World Records 2013 is available in the U.S. on September 13th for the suggested retail price of $28.95. Look out for the 2013 eBook version to launch October 13th. For more information about Guinness World Records 2013, visit www.guinnessworldrecords.com and Facebook. 

Hugh Panero, Marni Raab and Kyle Barisich

Hugh Panero, Marni Raab and Kyle Barisich

Hugh Panero, Marni Raab and Kyle Barisich