It was a spectacular climax to the show's long run

Cast and crew said emotional farewells as the curtain went down on the 6,680th performance of the show.

It ended with streamers and balloons floating down on the players in front of a wildly applauding audience of 1,400 at New York's Imperial Theater.

The show's British producer, Cameron Mackintosh, told the crowd: "Time for au revoir."

Co-director Trevor Nunn was among others who took to the stage to express their thanks.

Claude-Michel Schonberg, who wrote the musical, said: "I'm very happy, since we've been here 16 years, which is 14 more than we expected.

"It's a love story, and like every love story it has to come to an end."

Cast members were overcome with emotion

One of the show's authors, Alain Boublil, added: "It has been an extraordinary journey, but don't expect me to feel miserable tonight."

The final performance included members of the original 1987 cast and members of the show's creative team.

It lasted more than three hours as the crowd regularly interrupted with bursts of applause.

World premi�re

Most of the audience was made up of invited guests, and tickets were scarce - one sold for more than $18,000 (�11,000) on internet auction site eBay.

Theatregoers were keen for a final souvenir

The musical version of Victor Hugo's 1861 novel had its world premi�re at the Barbican, London, in October 1985.

It opened on Broadway in March 1987 and became New York's second-longest-running show after Cats.

Telling the story of Jean Valjean and his pursuit by the relentless Inspector Javert, its New York run won eight Tony awards including best musical.

There have been 54 different productions of the show around the world in 21 languages - most recently in China.

Its departure from Broadway leaves Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera the only remaining big British musical of the 1980s left in New York.