As of January 9th, 2023, the world-renowned musical The Phantom of the Opera became the longest-ever running show on Broadway with its non-stop run of thirty-five years (Rabinowitz). To the shock of millions of fans all over the world, at the end of last year, it was announced that Phantom would take its final bow on February 18th, 2023. Fortunately, the musical’s run was extended due to the sharp increase in ticket demand, and the closing date is now set at April 16th of this year – so you can still see it before it leaves! And I highly encourage you to do so (if you’re not able to see it live, you can watch the 25th-anniversary proshot). In honor of the end of an era, I wanted to “rewind time” and look back on Phantom’s amazing legacy.
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical based on the twentieth-century French novel of the same name by Gaston Leroux. It tells the story of the “Phantom” of the Paris Opera House, who wears a mask to hide his disfigurement and gives private instruction to budding vocalist Christine Daaé. He falls in love with her and threatens directors into giving her lead roles in operas, but she also has eyes for arts benefactor Raoul. The love-triangle-centered production seamlessly blends elements of gothic horror, romance, and historical fiction, all to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sweeping, iconic soundtrack. The track list opens with the dramatic, recognizable “Overture,” setting the tone for the rest of the show. The unique composition of the score combines soaring classical orchestration with an almost rock music-like vibe, adding electric guitar and drums to the violins and trumpets. Each song is different but contributes its own layer to the story with distinctive flair. Additionally, “the original cast recording of the Phantom of the Opera was the first in British musical theatre history to enter the charts at number one” (Ali).
Phantom has broken many incredible records in entertainment history. Arguably one of its most impressive achievements is the box office revenues, which “are higher than any film or stage play in history, including ‘Titanic,’ ‘ET,’ ‘Star Wars,’ and ‘Avatar’” (Willmot). And a few other fun facts:
- The musical has been translated into fifteen languages: English, French, German, Japanese, Danish, Polish, Swedish, Castilian, Hungarian, Dutch, Korean, Portuguese, Mexican Spanish, Estonian, and Russian (“Facts & Figures”).
- Do you think your older sibling is dramatic? Phantom uses no less than 250 kgs (that’s 551 lbs) of dry ice, 281 candles, and ten fog machines per performance to create the haunting atmosphere (Ali).
- Even though it’s closing in April, it’s still hitting milestones: just last month, it reached 20 million cumulative audience members (Windman).
- It takes two hours for the Phantom to put on his stage makeup, which includes various wigs, prosthetics, microphones, tinted contact lenses, and of course, the mask – which is custom-made for each actor playing him (“Facts & Figures”).
- In the first drafts of Phantom, Christine was actually “Kristin” (Wontorek).
Before the musical even opened on Broadway, it had gained so much popularity that it earned $16 million in advances — and tickets were rarely more expensive than $60. The Phantom merchandise market exploded. The show was so successful that by the time critics started seeing it, even bad reviews were powerless against its popularity. And still today, Phantom continues to be among the most popular musicals of them all. A theatre classic, appreciated by spectators of all ages, the Phantom of the Opera will surely be there inside our minds for many years to come.
Works Cited
Ali, Jade. “15 Fun Facts about Phantom of the Opera.” London Theatre Direct, 11 Oct. 2021, www.londontheatredirect.com/news/15-fun-facts-about-phantom-of-the-opera.
“Facts & Figures.” The Phantom of the Opera • Official Website, www.thephantomoftheopera.com/facts-figures/.
Willmott, Phil. “All about Phantom of the Opera.” Theatre News and Reviews, 21 Sept. 2022, https://www.londonboxoffice.co.uk/news/post/all-about-phantom#:~:text=Quick%20facts%20about%20PHANTOM%20OF%20THE%20OPERA&text=The%20box%20office%20revenues%20are,ET%2C%20Star%20Wars%20and%20Avatar.
Rabinowitz, Chloe. “Rewind: Looking Back at the Phantom of the Opera on the Anniversary of Its First Broadway Preview.” BroadwayWorld.com, 9 Jan. 2022, www.broadwayworld.com/article/Rewind-Looking-Back-at-THE-PHANTOM-OF-THE-OPERA-on-the-Anniversary-of-its-First-Broadway-Preview-20230109.
Windman, Matt. “Ambroadway: ‘Phantom’ Hits More Milestones before Closing Date, ‘Ragtime’ Reunion Rescheduled and More.” AmNewYork, 31 Jan. 2023, www.amny.com/entertainment/broadway/ambroadway-phantom-hits-more-milestones-before-closing-date/.
Wontorek, Paul. “The Phantom of the Opera Is Here and 30! Looking Back at the Magic and Romance of Broadway’s Longest-Running Show.” Broadway.com, Broadway.com, 26 Jan. 2018, www.broadway.com/buzz/190978/the-phantom-of-the-opera-is-here-and-30-looking-back-at-the-magic-and-romance-of-broadways-longest-running-show/.