Phantom of the Opera is DEAD TO ME!!!

“The Phantom of the Opera,” the longest-running show in Broadway history and, for many, a symbol of musical theater, will drop its famous chandelier for the last time in February, becoming the latest show to fall victim to the drop-off in audiences since the pandemic hit.

The closing is at once long-expected — no show runs forever, and this one’s grosses have been softening — but also startling, because “Phantom” had come to seem like a permanent part of the Broadway landscape, a period piece and a tourist magnet that stood apart from the vicissitudes of the commercial theater marketplace.

But in the year since Broadway returned from its damaging pandemic lockdown, the theatergoing audience has not fully rebounded, and “Phantom,” which came back strong last fall, has not been selling well enough to defray its high weekly running costs. The show will commemorate its 35th anniversary in January, and then will play its final performance on Broadway on Feb. 18, according to a spokesman. The cast, crew and orchestra were informed of the decision on Friday.

It'll be back in 3 years. By popular frauen demand.

It was the diversity casting of Christine that ruined the show and turned audiences off!

So Harold Prince's nearly 70 year Broadway career ends.

Assuming he makes it to closing night, the actor who played Buquet will have been there the entire run. That sounds like torture

Was Gerald Butler in the movie version a bust or a beaut? Discuss.

I have to say, this really saddens me. I know it's embarrassing, but I always loved POTO as a kid and seeing it for the first time was an incredible experience. Although my opinions on it have altered some, it still does have a special place in my heart. With that said, I don't doubt it's having a tough time getting people to see it. At this point, after 35 years anyone who would want to see it probably already has and for as much as I love the show, when you've seen it a few times the allure does start to fade.

R3, I don't necessarily think the colorblind casting played a significant role in the dropping attendance numbers per se. I don't believe the theater going public at large would be averse to a black female lead (the title role was played by several black men who got great reviews). I did see the casting as a cheap way to induce another era for the show in the 2020s ("come see it again because now Christine's black). If I happened to be in NY I would probably buy a ticket just to simply see it. But as die hard fan who has seen it a lot, it's just not a big enough change to really warrant a separate trip out there just to see it, regardless of how great the leads do.

One last thing, if you listen to soundtrack, it sounds incredibly dated. The whole score is riddled with 80s-sounding synthesized guitar and drums. It sounds similar to Whiteny's I'm your baby tonight.

Me too R8. I love the show. Is it perfect, no. I love it and am sad it is closing.

Like Evita, it’s a show that shouldn’t work but does. Mind you a friend saw a production that. a high school got special permission to do and said that its essential crapness really came through.

It saddens me, it's my favorite musical (as I am, indeed, a frau) but honestly, it will be revived endlessy and I would rather that it's absence makes heart grow fonder than it be struggling to fill the seats every day. Give it a respectful send off and have it go out on a high note.

Apologies, I was wrong in r6. I knew I'd once read that the same actor had played the role for a long time, and then mis-read the original actor's entry on IBDB - it lists the shows running dates on his page, when I thought that meant it was his tenure. So you can cancel the calls to Amnesty

Dear god I saw it when Brightman and Crawford were the leads. I wasn't impressed with the show but Prince's production was quite terrific though the falling chandelier was one of the most pathetic things I've ever seen on Broadway.

Is The Fantasticks still running?. I used to read the play descriptions in the New Yorker.

I loved the show when I saw it as a 5th grader in '95. The overall look and feel of the show was magical, but even then I could tell some sections really dragged. I've decided to go see it for a second time before it closes, because Broadway musicals hardly have production values any more, and I want to see the show as an adult.

Shocking it ran so long. I remember taking my older brother to go see it and we couldn't believe what all the fuss was about (this was early 90s). It truly was a show made for New Jersey housewives. Still, not the worse mega-musical I ever sat through -- that honor belongs to Cats. At least Phantom had something of a story to follow.

If this is the end of the over-the-top mega-musical era then thank God.

R6, I’d much prefer a mega musical to a jukebox musical or one based on a movie with a score by Tina Fey’s ugly husband.

I'll side with OP...I fell asleep during 'Phantom' in 2003-ish. Actually, my father, sister, and I all fell asleep during the show. But I'd paid $35/ticket and we'd been "playing tourist" all day. I felt so bad about missing part of the show that I subjected myself to the film version not long after. I fell asleep during that as well, and then didn't feel bad. I had a friend in Vegas who wanted me to see the abridged version there at the Venetian, and I declined the invite.

I wouldn't be surprised if this reopens within a year or so with a slimmed down, cheaper version in a smaller theater - like they did with "Les Miz" a few seasons ago.

Apparently, Andrew Lloyd Webber was keeping this news quiet all summer long and was going to make an announcement later this year. He's been trying to get all his ducks in a row for the Broadway premiere of 'Cinderella' - which he has planned on opening in the Majestic next Fall. He was going to announce the closing of 'Phantom' and opening of 'Cinderella' all in one press announcement next month - but the news leaked out to the press, and ruined his PR plans.

'Six', '& Juliet', & 'Cinderella' are already getting mixed up in my head.

Ugh! This is SO obviously a ploy to close it and reopen it in a cheaper version, without those pesky original creators estates getting their nip! The West End Phantom is just different enough to skirt the contracts so Andrew and Cameron now grab all the cash. That bitchy sad hack Seth Sklar-Heyn will continue to ruin the simple story and demand everything be indicated and “grounded” into shite. Michael Crawford brought a magic to it that has never been equaled. Poor Ben Crawford plays it like a Levittown Liberace…

That’s just what Max Miller said on twitter r8. Guess a lot of people will miss the show.

If the revival of 'Chicago' can hold on for eight more years after the closing of 'Phantom', it will be the longest running musical on Broadway. There's a good chance it will (it needs to run until end of December, 2031 if my math is correct.

[quote]It was the diversity casting of Christine that ruined the show and turned audiences off!

^This.

Saw it. It sucked.

Wasn't Cinderella panned by even the most indulgent of show queens and had a very poor reception by everyone even outside of dealing with covid?

Broadway needs more chicks rockin' out in boots.

The sequel to the show is the worst thing I have ever seen. It made no sense, was riddled with plot holes, and just plain boring. The only time the show had any pep was when they reprised the theme from Phantom.

[quote]One last thing, if you listen to soundtrack, it sounds incredibly dated.

CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM! CAST ALBUM!

I remember this was Princess Diana’s favorite show, and she went multiple times. I stood in line all day on a long weekend trip to London and snagged the last two tickets. First act was fun, but that second act was a slog.

I saw Phantom for the first time a few years ago with a touring production that was touting it’s “new staging”, which I imagine was a no-frills, toned-down version of Hal Prince’s original. I remember being disappointed in the physical production (cheap and empty-feeling despite a big cast) and surprised at just how bad the musical itself is - I was expecting the cheesy porn-for-fraus romance novel stuff between the Phantom and Christine, I was surprised by how much it was given over to the bad show-within-a-show opera pastiches.

R31, the restaged tour has none of Hal Prince’s original directions, it’s all horrible shit thrown on stage by non-talent Laurence Connor. Awful!

Thanks, R32. I remember it feeling really over-lit in a blue LED sort of a way for a show about the “music of the night” and the set pieces were like big icebergs that just sort of limited the stage. It kind of felt like the set design for a figure skating show?

"the restaged tour has none of Hal Prince’s original directions, it’s all horrible shit thrown on stage by non-talent Laurence Connor. Awful!"

And this restaging is what everyone fears will open up on Broadway in a smaller theater about a year after the original closes in February. It's much cheaper to run than the original.

The original production is the ONLY thing that matters here, Hal Prince's work. The actual material is negligible, not even good enough to be campy fun.

R34, yep! This is the plan, Cameron has been DESPERATE for this scenario for ages, he doesn’t give two shits about “The Brilliant Original” and has battled with ALW to end the Prince guided version, Andrew gave a half hearted parry during Covid for the Broadway “reopening”, but he doesn’t really care at this point. He’s obsessed with his tepid Cinderella and the hope it can be another WICKED, spoiler alert: it ain’t that. ALW has also been hungering for that stillborn nightmare Love Never Dies to have a Broadway mounting, with POTO gone, that gives him a semi-shot. The Phantom of the Opera doesn’t need to close, they were actually casting about for a new Madame Giry just a couple weeks ago, this was all an expedited plan after word leaked out. The poor cast were informed via a 4pm Zoom call yesterday, what a cunty move.

[quote]It was the diversity casting of Christine that ruined the show and turned audiences off!

What a shame for you and the other idiots parroting this bullshit. that the grosses prove this isn't true, then

A revival of "Mame" seems timely and I'm available until I die.

The greatest and most spectacular Broadway musical of all time is "Les Misérables.

"He’s obsessed with his tepid Cinderella and the hope it can be another WICKED,"

This is very true. He's pushing for this to be the 'big event' and 'most anticipated' show on Broadway for Fall, 2023 with tickets sold out way in advance. The only chance he has at this is if he casts Glenn Close as 'Cinderella', Patti Lupone as 'the wicked step mother' and Faye Dunaway and Madonna as 'the wicked stepsisters'.

Never saw it on Broadway. Not sure why. Did see it on tour when I was a very young boy. It was magical to that kid. Disappointed to hear that the recent tour was a stripped-down, crappy version. Greed is so bad these days. Sigh.

Yeah, I’d only see this again for the eighties nostalgia. I have zero interest in a reimagined version. The material depends on pastiche.

I hate this boring, tired musical.

Puccini, wherever he is now, will be sad that people will no longer hear his music night after night (even though another composer has been getting all the credit - and all the money- for 3 plus decades)

Les Misérables is absolute shit.

Phantom is gothic fun, at least occasionally.

Cameron will bring in the restaged version in 2024, always his plan, he’s a greedy old cunt.

I saw Phantom in the 80' shortly after it had opened, Sarah Brightman was the star, Andrew Lloyd Weber was standing near me, I had standing row, since I was a poor student. Right after the lights went down, Michael Jackson with his date Brooke Sheilds took their seats and a murmur went though the audience. It was a fun show, but kinda long.

Thanks, OP. I saw a touring company production in Chicago last year and snoozed. I would have left at intermission, but I was a guest. Glad I didn't snore.

R10 brought up a good point. The problem with Phantom is that, at least for Broadway, so much more than ALW's score makes the show. I can't remember the designer's name, but her set and costumes get a lot more attention on the web in forums about the show than Webber's songs. The lighting was spectacular, the sound. And if you've ever seen a mediocre non-replica production, e.g. by a high school, it really becomes obvious how much the sets, costumes and general spectacle mean more to the audience's satisfaction than the music. And it's not to trash Webber, Phantom has some really great musical moments, but a lot of it is just notes on a page. I saw the newer touring production and there were a lot of great effects and interesting additions. But it really really suffered from not having the original set design, costuming and lighting.

R36, that's really interesting. Where did you get this info? Just curious.

[quote] it’s all horrible shit thrown on stage

Mary!

I saw it in 1988 with Crawford and Brightman. I loved it. I played the album over and over. It helped that I was a horror movie fan. I watched the Lon Chaney and Claude Rains versions constantly (the Hammer version sucks). I was just a gayling and I loved all things Phantom. I saw a road show performance at the Walnut Street Theater a few years later, but it just wasn't the same. I'm going to have plan a trip to Manhattan so I can see the show in all of its glory before it's gone. MARY!

Much of the music in PHANTOM is highly derivative when it's not actually copied from the work of other composers. Some of it is pretty but written in the wrong style, for example "Think of Me," which I believe was a trunk song. Most of the lyrics are shite, and because the show is through-sung, the story is not well told at all. Other than all of that, it's a great musical :-(

Michael Crawford's performance as The Phantom was and stll is the best thing about that musical.

It's the 3rd highest-grossing Broadway show of all-time, behind Wicked and The Lion King. I'm sure that ALW secretly hates Stephen Schwartz since Wicked has made more money than Phantom in half the amount of time on Broadway.

R53 Absolutely! Crawford’s performance has never been equaled, he brought a fragility and pathos to it that made the audience connect, deeply. Cameron HATED that Crawford became THE STAR and was a complete bitch when negotiations started for Michael extending for the Broadway run, wouldn’t give a penny more, so he went to open the Los Angeles production and never returned to the role, except for a brief revisit in LA before Davis Gaines replaced Robert Guillaume. Cameron never likes an actor to rise above his productions, when they do they are usually toast. He’s also the reason Phantom’s started becoming “younger and hotter” as he never liked “the ugly makeup” and felt it cheaper to swing out a Raoul actor into the title role. Less rehearsal! This entire “closing” debacle is his doing, he wants 14 in the orchestra and way less set to handle. What is interesting is how ALW has seemingly folded over this move, he was incredibly aggressive in reopening Broadway in the original version after demurring in the battle for shrinking the West End production. Cinderella Broadway evidently is his 24/7 obsession and he’s awol so far regarding this situation. Back in 2003 to 2004, when Cameron was pushing to close Phantom, Andrew got sober enough to fight that to a win, but now, it’s just about the money.

R55 According to ALW Crawford and Cameron got into a scuffle in the back of a taxi that nearly ended in a fistfight...I think it was something about the direction Cameron wanted and Crawford refused,

R55 Yes, until MC I had never heard a male singer who could simultaneously sob and sing at the same time and be both incredibly moving and sound beautiful. Probably because Crawford was an actor first and singer second.

OP and r48 want to sound like elite theater snobs, you know damned well neither of them snoozed through the shows.

Feel cooler now for posting those lies?

R57, how insightful, yes, that was exactly the type of inspiration he brought to the role, especially his final notes at the end, he’d sometimes just “cry” and the through line would be musically appropriate and correct. Hal Prince LOVED that, he actually wasn’t demanding that the role be SO SUNG, he was just very mindful of “the voice” fitting the dramatic necessities. Once Howard McGillin took over the role for his epically long run, the focus drifted to a way more robust vocal from the first appearance in The Mirror. That OBC will always be very special.

[quote]It's the 3rd highest-grossing Broadway show of all-time, behind Wicked and The Lion King. I'm sure that ALW secretly hates Stephen Schwartz since Wicked has made more money than Phantom in half the amount of time on Broadway.

I suppose that's an interesting statistic, but I certainly hope you realize that the main reason for the difference is the huge increase in ticket prices.

The Lion King is the most profitable single title franchise of all time.

[quote]It's the 3rd highest-grossing Broadway show of all-time, behind Wicked and The Lion King. I'm sure that ALW secretly hates Stephen Schwartz since Wicked has made more money than Phantom in half the amount of time on Broadway.

[quote]I suppose that's an interesting statistic, but I certainly hope you realize that the main reason for the difference is the huge increase in ticket prices.

If you scroll down a bit at the link, you'll see the ranking based on ticket sales (Pre 1984 not available because this group wasn't counting back then). Top-10 listed below, and Phantom is #1.

The Phantom of the Opera

The Lion King

Cats

Les Misérables

Mamma Mia!

Wicked

Beauty and the Beast

Miss Saigon

Chicago

Jersey Boys

Starlight Express

I know the high art purists hate him but Lloyd Webber generated a lot of successful theatre that created a lot of memorable tunes and employed a lot of performers. It might not have been art, but it was entertainment.

That said, he's out of gas and has been for a long time. He's better known for his epic flops since, what, Sunset?

R7

Butler was terrible. For one thing, they didn't bother to make him look him very monstrous. I've never seen Phantom in the theater but I really enjoyed the 25th anniversary performance with Ramin Karimloo, Sierra Boggess, and Hadley Fraser. The only thing that spoils it is that their mikes are visible. I can't believe it was 11 years ago.

Karimloo is in Funny Girl on Broadway.

Naturally, they don't cast a Black Christine until they're ready to shut down the show.

R44 There was a lawsuit by the Puccini estate and a settlement, although its terms were not disclosed.

R14

It closed in 2002 after running for 42 years.

[quote] because the show is through-sung

Phantom is not “through-sung”

It's always the Kopit/Weston PHANTOM for me, not this pretender of a show. Glad she's dead!

Webby could *never* write a 'Hear My Tragic Tale', 'You Are Music', or '(Where) My Dreams'. He doesn't have the range.

And the sublime Takarazuka Theatre never staged POTO, when they've staged PHANTOM countless times, which tells me all I need to know.

Highest-Grossing Broadway Shows Ever

1. The Lion King

2. Wicked

3. Phantom of the Opera

As you can see, Wicked has the highest average ticket price among the 3, because of higher demand. Patti LuPone said that Wicked will eventually become the highest-grossing show in history. Wicked's average ticket price is twice that of Phantom. When you add in gross from touring companies, Wicked has already out-grossed The Lion King.

Are these adjusted for inflation?

Davis Gaines made a career out of this show. Over 2000 performances, starting out as one of the early Raouls on Broadway, most as the Phantom, some on Broadway and many in other cities, such as LA. I'm guessing some of the other male leads have also done very well in their careers off of this one show

Maury Yeston couldn’t write a hummable tune if his life depended on it.

There’s a heavy level of simmering rage backstage at PHANTOM. The more the news sinks in, and the cast understands the big picture, Cameron’s smaller and cheaper version will reappear sooner, rather than later, the more people are becoming enraged. Disappointment mixed with disrespect is one helluva virus…

Gonna have to ask R73...for receipts...

Lea Michele could save it.

I saw it and I thought it was overrated. Time for all of us to move on.

Yesterday morning on "Morning Joe" they had a handsome theater critic on giving us the news for the theater scene for Fall / Winter.

He talked about what's coming in , really promoting '& Juliette' which looks awful in his clips he shared. Also was pushing 'Beautiful Noise' - the Neil Diamond musical. and 'Almost Famous'.

He mentioned "Music Man" closing January 1, but said 'Into the Woods' should keep going through winter (it's not - they're closing January 8 and another show is taking the theater). He never mentioned that 'Beetlejuice' is also closing January 8.

Then he talked about "Phantom" closing February 18. He said since the announcement earlier in the week, ticket sales have skyrocketed once again - the box office is doing over a million dollars in sales each day. He warned most performances have sold out for December - February 18, so if you want tickets you better hurry up. He also said Cameron will probably restage this in 2024 with a scaled down cast and staging - like he did with Les Miz when it closed, so POTO won't be gone for long.

Another journalist this weekend posted that he also expects more shows to be closing this January, as the tourist industry doesn't look like it's picked up this Fall as far as indicators are concerned (such as hotel bookings, etc.).

[quote] more shows to be closing this January, as the tourist industry doesn't look like it's picked up this Fall as far as indicators are concerned (such as hotel bookings, etc.).

No surprises there. Runaway inflation, recession looming, COVID lingering, and record crime rates... who the fuck wants to go there and/or could afford it?

The time is just right for a film version of Sunset Boulevard! The magic of Broadway with the affordability of a second rate experience!

And Glenn would be perfect for the film, starring as non-binary "Nor" Desmond.

Imagine the revised pitch for Paramount! Think Albert Nobbs meets Sunset Boulevard with this receding hairline! We can buy the rights to I Enjoy Being a Girl and cram it in. Three big numbers for N'or-Man Desmond!

The time is just right for Barbra to finally do GYPSY at 80 years old. I mean, if not her - who ? Denzel Washington can play Herbie. Beanie can play Louise, while Arian DeBose can play Baby June.

Sheryl Lee Ralph as Tessie Tura Phylicia Rashad as Miss Marzeppa Rita Moreno as Elektra

Talk about diversity ! I smell Oscars......

Arian DeBose IS The Phantom of the Opera, 2024, at the LuntFo!

I used to work as an usher for that show in the mid-90s. I think I watched it (or was forced to hear it in the background) about 300 times. It sort of grew on me after awhile, and I did always like the production values. The chandelier is neat at first, but then you realize it's actually not as spectacular as it could have been. I did a lot of reading during those 3 years...managed to get through several Henry Miller books, so now whenever I think of either Miller or PotO, I think of the other.

The theater critic on 'Morning Joe' also mentioned the resurgence at the box office of 'Funny Girl' now that Lea Michele took over the role. He said usually a revival in trouble (or any musical or play in trouble) will just close it's doors and take it's losses. However, never before in recent memory have they replaced the star and the show becomes a box office hit - ticket sales are better than ever before, shows are selling out daily. And LM is getting all the credit.

When Beanie first started, ticket sales were brisk, despite tepid reviews. It looked like a real hit, until after the Tonys. Then… it went downhill very fast.

"When Beanie first started, ticket sales were brisk, despite tepid reviews. It looked like a real hit, until after the Tonys. Then… it went downhill very fast."

Those 'brisk' ticket sales were all from advance ticket sales bought before the show opened on April 24, and had nothing to do with the Tonys. The show was sold out for weeks even before previews started (the tickets went on sale in late 2021). So despite the horrible reviews, the box office looked like it was a smash hit because of the advanced, "pre-reviews" tickets. Those advanced sales hold for about six weeks for any show - and in this case, coincidentally they lasted right up until the Tonys. Then in mid-June the box office was relying on day-to-day sales, which reflected post-reviews. That's when the box office started dropping - the advance tickets sales were gone by that point and no one was lining up at the box office to buy tickets.

[quote] The greatest and most spectacular Broadway musical of all time is "Les Misérables.

I don't think you'll get many people here who agree with you that it was "the greatest." Musically, except for one or two songs (like "Master of the House") it's just one depressing dirge after another.

It was also not that visually spectacular, though it was inventive (as with how they staged Javert's death).

R89 - My favorite number from C'est Interminablah was "I Dreamed I was Asleep".

I usually felt screamed at after I Dreamed a Dream. The first interpretation I thought brought some true sadness to it was - ducking - Hathaway's.

R44!!!

R92

Haven't watched but the suit by the Puccini Estate already has been discussed in this thread.

LOL:

"There is no universe, no social circle, in which it’s cool to like “The Phantom of the Opera.”

It’s not cool if you’re a normal person — that is, not an obsessive theater nerd. But it’s especially uncool if you are an obsessive theater nerd. Unlike Stephen Sondheim’s wry social commentary, or Rodgers and Hammerstein’s wholesome exuberance, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom” is just … too much. Too melodramatic, too special-effects-driven. And definitely too ’80s. The synth. The smoke machine. The candelabras. The pyrotechnics. All those rhinestones!"

"It’s a cheeseball of a show. Worse — at least in the eyes of New Yorkers — it’s a show for tourists.

And yet: I adore “Phantom.”

R95 - Aunt Doris from Milwaukee.

It's actually a quote from the piece, R96.

Could this hopefully lead to a revival of Cats?

I ask you: how many times can you see CATS?

Damn, they sure did rip off Puccini. My father was obsessed with his music, in particular La Rondine.

I'm embarrassed to say I've seen the show four times during its Broadway run, but the times I enjoyed it most was the two times it starred Hugh Panaro.

I have always loathed ALW shows, so this is not sad news for me.

The only ALW show I enjoyed was Aspects of Love which had a beautiful original Broadway production which I assume was a replication of Nunn's West End version. And it is the only ALW show that everybody absolutely loathes. Except for perhaps Paint Never Dries.

I appreciate "Aspects of Love", but only on account of the fun one can have making fun of that God-awful title... Aspic of Love, Asbestos of Love, etc.

Why embarrassed r101? Did you not like the show and were forced to go with someone else? Or just ashamed to admit you're a "Phan"?

I found Hugh Panaro too wild in his interpretation. It was hard to take him seriously, although I know he's beloved in the community.

I always enjoyed it. Saw it in London once or twice. It's a big, lush, over the top musical. What's not to like?

Starring Miss Lea Michele in the role of Christine, R2.

Having seen both Phantom and Les Miz twice on stage,I can truthfully say my days of big broadway musicals are pretty much done. Les Miz depresses me now,and Phantom has about 3 songs I actually like.

Lion King will close too?

I used to like the simplicity of the Les Mis staging. I don't think there's a version of it left anywhere now.

Phantom has aged better than Rent.

I am an old fashioned theater snob. But I saw Les Miz when it first opened(only because somehow my sister got student tickets. I would have never paid even half price) and I have to admit Colm Wilkinson had me tearing up at the end. I fought hard against it but he won. One of my favorite performances in musical theater. But I haven't seen it in any form since.

Will Ben Crawford be the final Phantom? I’m hearing otherwise…

Way to go, r38. You totally jinxed Lansbury.

R113 who would it be if not him?

I must know!

Thinking out loud....Hugh Panaro? Howard McGillin?

Please God not Banderas.....

I wonder if, shudder, they would consider bringing back Michael Crawford, even though he'd have to lip sync his entire performance to the original cast album.

I'll stick to the Lon Chaney film1925.

There is no comparison. The film is great melodrama. The musical is simply very good theme park schlock.

Oh Crawford would definitely have to come back for this. Why wouldn't he? I mean...final shows and all. He originated the part.

My guess is "special guests" will include Crawford, Brightman, Webber, CamMack and a few alums, definitely for the Gala performance on the the Friday for charity.

Can Crawford still sing any of the material from Phantom? I haven't heard him sing in years but he always seemed generally in good voice.

Micheal Crawford in good voice ??? Honey,have you heard him sing other things ? Hes god awful. He just lucked out with Phantom and stumbled into something his shitty voice worked in. I always loathed Sarah brightman too. A little of her goes a very long way.

Well Sarah is cheesy as all hell. I loved her back in the day but yeah, she's not the best Christine they ever had. Rebecca Luker, Patti Cohenour, Rebecca Caine...they all have her beat.

But Michael was amazing as the Phantom. I liked most of what I heard on his solo releases and whatnot. I didn't hear him in that Wizard of Oz show they did with him as the Wizard. Was that his last stage gig? I suspect he had enough money after Phantom to retire.

I still can't get over Dance of the Vampires though. What the fuck was he thinking with that?

ANYWAY - r113 what do you know? SPILL! Please, I'm twitching here...

Come onnnnn.....

Spill.

I'm not a theater snob. The last show I saw was "Wicked" in 2005. But like OP, I too fell asleep in POTO in the early 90s. I just didn't like it that much. Les Miz was much better, but what I really loved was Into The Woods.

I've never seen Into the Woods. Just on youtube the song I think it's called On the Steps of the Palace. It sounded like a Sondheim parody.

Into the Woods at the Guthrie next summer.

[quote] I saw a road show performance at the Walnut Street Theater a few years later.

No you didn't. The Walnut is a self-producing house. You saw it at the Forrest. Hate being nit-picky but I worked at the WST for 10 years and people always confuse us with the touring houses. There are no touring shows at the Walnut.

I first saw POTO in Toronto in 1990 with Colm Wilkinson. I wasn't into theater as a kid, but everyone was raving about this show and I wanted to see it. My mom, grandpa and I took a bus to Toronto from Buffalo to see it, and well, musical theater is now my life because of this experience. If it weren't for POTO, I'd never appreciate Sondheim, Kander & Ebb, Bernstein, Richard Rodgers. It truly is the gateway drug for millions.

Since then I've seen POTO also on Broadway and London. Hugh Panaro, whom I knew from the Walnut, took my mother and I backstage to his dressing room and a tour of the Majestic in 2014. It was magical.

My mom and I got tix for the April 15 performance, the final Saturday night before closing. I expect it to be electrifying. And special for my mom and me.

Theater people who deride POTO I automatically look down on as snobs.

It doesn't make you cool or elite, it makes you look like a jackass.

I will miss the last Hal Prince show we'll ever witness once this show closes.

[quote]Hate being nit-picky

No you don't.

Phantom is ok but you should have seen his original production of Company. Talk about theatrical excitement.

My first Broadway Play was Phantom. By "rich" Aunt who worked for as a secretary for a well known Madame. I fell asleep and she never let me live it down. I said next time get us better seats. She didn't disappoint for the Lion King.

Wow. You fell asleep during a show...and blamed her for not getting you better seats? That's...ungrateful and then some!

r113 Did you hear that Ben Crawford would be replaced for the final show(s) and if so...by whom?

I think the era of the long running musical is coming to an end. it already has in many parts of the world.

There are now a myriad of entertainment choices to both chose from and also various methods of viewing them, that has made redundant the big musical being the only thing in town to see.

It's no longer an 'event' for most people now.

Well one could argue the internet did that, but since the internet took off we've had Wicked, Book of Mormon, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hanson...

Nothing compared to Phantom because nothing had the opulence and drama of Phantom. I think it lasted because it really delivered in a huge way - bigger than Les Mis or Cats or anything else with one or two small effects or moments. Phantom was spectacle with a huge score and romance and people will pay money to come back to that.

I agree it's unlikely we'll see "Phantom Mania" again no matter what kind of shows open on Broadway or elsewhere - Phantom was exceptional in that respect.

But theatre still speaks to people in a different way than anything else. A movie theatre isn't live. Yes, you can go out to watch a movie on a date, but it's just a huge viewing room with overpriced snacks. Theatre with real people in front of you bringing it to life and that's appealing and always will be.

But no, there'll never be another Phantom.

R132, things continue to be very fluid, but it appears now that most of this current cast will perform through the closing. With the extension it first appeared that there would be changes with certain leads, now things seem back to normal. The final performance isn’t planning any gimmicks as far as being played though, it’s to be normal as always. The April 14th 2023 Charity Performance will definitely hold some casting surprises, but it is still very early days regarding that benefit.

Phantom > Lion King

R134, Wicked and The Lion King are both bigger than Phantom, which has dropped to #3 on the All-Time Highest Grossing Broadway Shows list, and it will fall to #4 soon when Hamilton passes it.

You don't even see Phantom touring companies anymore.

Lion King.

Yuk!

Its getting more expensive to produce, that's why.

Could they add some hip-hop songs to Phantom to freshen it up?

Like a thief in the night

In the mask, he was white

Marking sins that were right

He might kill youuuuu, he mightttttt

Now I know that I wasn't the only one to fall asleep during a live performance of Phantom!

I realized I had drifted off in the darkened Fox Theater when the massive swell of the organ as an act ended brought me suddenly back to wakefulness.

I've always felt guilty about my slumber then because a friend couple had treated to to a ticket.

We need a Phantom origins musical.