Congratulations to Phantom of the Opera for celebrating 10,000 performances on Broadway. I had the privilege of seeing my first performance just months ago; I really don’t know why I waited for the chance to see this timeless production, but now that I’ve sat in the front row of the Paris Opera House. . . .I mean New York’s Majestic Theatre, I won’t let it be my last. The current cast is a perfectly matched family of performers who bring magic to the stage eight times a week, including Hugh Panaro (the current Phantom) in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s stunning concept.
If you aren’t familiar with it, the stage musical is based on a classic story by Gaston Leroux about a facially disfigured man of immeasurable musical talent, who lives in seclusion inside the opera house, making his presence known when business does not go according to his specifications. New owners take over the business and, after a rehearsal goes awry (possibly at the Phantom’s hands), the prima donna quits and a beautifully voiced chorus girl is introduced as her replacement. Christine Daae is being vocally trained by the Phantom, who desires her but stays in the shadows until, after her triumphant debut, he appears to her in person, hiding his face behind a mask. When the opera’s new patron turns out to be Christine’s childhood friend, their friendship of years ago becomes love, and the Phantom’s rejection turns the love triangle into a challenge which can only end in mayhem and death.
The most famous moment in the show is the climax of the first act, when the opera house’s magnificent chandelier is sent crashing to the stage by the Phantom. My seat in the front row was within touching distance of the chandelier, which begins the story in pieces onstage and rises to the ceiling to become the reborn centerpiece of the experience, transforming the Majestic and us into the Paris Opera and its audience. The musical numbers, the spectacle, and the tragedy combine into a mesmerizing experience that looks as fresh as when it first debuted in London in 1986.
It’s always a pleasure to applaud a production like this. I’d recommend the show to anybody who likes a good love story, a good cry or a good way to see what a Broadway show is like. I have embraced the Music of the Night, and so should you.
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