The Haunted Theatre

"The show must go on" is a phrase in show business, meaning that regardless of what happens, whatever show has been planned still has to be staged for the waiting patrons. There is no evidence to suggest that it is the abbreviation of a longer phrase.

Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0. Updated Jun 29, 2026.

“The Haunted Theatre.” The Show Must Go On. Radio broadcast, September 7, 1948.