Calling All 'Phans'!

The timeless story of love and loss that is Phantom of the Opera has touched the hearts of Broadway lovers for decades. The production is based upon the French novel Le Fantome de ‘Opera written and published by Gaston Leroux in 1909. The inspiration for the novel came to Leroux when he took a tour of the Paris Opera House. There he learned of an unexpected accident in 1896. One of the counterweights of the Paris Opera House’s chandelier fell from the ceiling killing one opera patron. The event sparked Leroux’s imagination, causing him to create the climactic chandelier crash in his novel.

The musical revolves around an aspiring young soprano, Swedish Christine Daaé. Her father, a famous musician, dies, and she went to live in the Paris Opera House with Madame Giry and her daughter Meg. On his death bed, Christine’s father made a promise to send a protective “Angel of Music” to guide her. After a time at the opera house, Christine begins hearing a voice, who eventually teaches her how to sing beautifully. All goes well until Christine’s childhood friend Raoul comes to visit his parents, who are patrons of the opera, and he spots Christine when she begins singing onstage. The mysterious voice belonged to the misunderstood, murderous ‘ghost’ of the opera house named Erik. His violence stems from his terrible jealousy of Raoul and the cruelty of the Persian from his past. The love-struck phantom then kidnaps Christine in efforts to keep her safe, in his mind. Christine soon develops feelings for the mysterious phantom, despite his deformities which leads to many problems considering she became engaged to Raoul. A duel between Erik and Raoul forces Christine to make a decision on whom to spend her life with.

The gothic tale was set to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Charles Hart. The magnificent play that is Phantom of the Opera premiered on October 9, 1986 in Her Majesty’s Theatre in London’s West End. Two years later the play made its Broadway debut. Phantom won the 1986 Olivier Award and the 1988 Tony Award for Best Musical. The iconic title role star Michael Crawford received the Olivier and Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical in those respective years. Phantom of the Opera is the longest running show in Broadway history, and celebrated its 10,000th performance on February 11,2012. This is the first production to ever reach that number of performances. It is also credited as the second longest running West End musical, after Les Misérables. After showing in 151 cities and 30 countries, Phantom has a total estimated worldwide gross sales of over $5.7 billion (the highest in history) and total Broadway gross of $845 million (only surpassed by The Lion King). Phantom of the Opera is the most financially successful entertainment event to date and continues to play in both London and New York.

In 2004, Andrew Lloyd Webber oversaw the production of film adaptation of the infamous musical. He along with director Joel Schumacher captured the hearts and minds of the ‘Phans’ everywhere. It starred Gerard Butler in the title role, Emmy Rossum as Christine Daaé, Patrick Wilson as Raoul, Miranda Richardson as Madame Giry, and Minnie Driver as Carlotta Giudicelli. The film was announced in 1989 but production did not start until 202 due to Lloyd Webber’s divorce and Schumacher’s busy career. It was shot entirely in Pinewood Studios, with scenery created with miniatures and computer animations. Rossum, Wilson, and Driver had singing experience, but Butler had none, therefore, causing him to hire a voice coach. The film grossed approximately $158 million worldwide, despite receiving mixed reviews, which praised the visuals and acting but criticizing the writing and directing.

Whether one is Team Phantom or Team Raoul, one fact remains the same: this musical is enchanting to almost all Broadway patrons. The long running play continues to capture the imagination of audience members worldwide. So if you ever find yourself in London or New York, this is a must-see play that should be at the top of your itinerary.

#Phantom #Phans