PHANTOM OF THE OPERA CLOSES ON BROADWAY AFTER 35 YEARS !!!!

It was the greatest, most spectacular, most melodic.....It was, THE SHOW TO END ALL SHOWS!!!!! 
PHANTOM OF THE OPERA CLOSES ON BROADWAY AFTER 35 YEARS !!!! 

A magical show from London opened on Broadway in New York City on January 9, 1988. It would become the most successful of our time.
 
The music was composed by an English Impresario and composer of musical theater, namely, ANDREW LLOYD WEBER, born in London, England in 1948. He became one of the most coveted and successful theater composers of our time. Some of his works included, Joseph and the Technicolor Dream Coat, Cinderella, Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, and countless others. 

The fabulous English Soprano, Sarah Brightman would star as "Christine" in the original cast. She had an impressive range of 4 Octaves. Specifically, her solo "All I Ask of You," would have 3 million plays on Apple Music. Ms. Brightman was married to Andrew Lloyd Weber from 1984 -1990. 

The original Phantom was Michael Crawford, a tenor with a voice "to die for." The title song, "The Phantom of the Opera" was performed as a duet between Ms. Brightman and Mr. Crawford to never-ending applause. His rendition of "Music of the Night" won a standing ovation from the theatergoers at every performance. ​

Combined with the talent of Andrew Lloyd Weber, they were a trio of extraordinary talent in an extraordinary theater show, and probably never duplicated. They were part of a fantastic cast, including Steve Barton who played Raoul. Over the years, so many fabulous talents continued to play these roles, to audiences all over the world. Here are some interesting facts about the show... 

• Did you know...In the 1870s, the chandelier at The Paris Opera House actually fell. Due to a fire, the wires were frazzled, causing one fatality and many injured theatergoers. 
  
• Did you know...The Phantom was based on a 1910 French novel by Gaston Leroux. He collected the story of scary happenings in the Palais Garnier, which is where the book and musical took place. 
  
• Did you know...In our modern version, the Phantom actually appears as a mysterious movie idol type and was given beautiful love songs to sing. 
  
• Did you know...The chandelier was secretly given the name "Ruthie." It was named for Ruth Mitchell, the devoted but ferocious assistant to the director, Hal Prince. 
  
• Did you know...The chandelier dropped 13,000 times at performances in the fantastic Majestic Theater in New York City. The theater department in charge of that employed 8 people to oversee this extravaganza. The chandelier was synonymous with wealth and luxury in these times. 
  
• Did you know...The makeup for the Phantom took 2 hours of preparation. This laborious task included applying the mask, moisturizer, wigs, mics, radio, and contact lenses. 
  
• Did you know…The Phantom of the Opera has been played in 15 different languages in various countries and requires a cast/crew of 120 people, including the orchestra for each production. 
  

Carol-Rose Editorial: 
The Chandelier fell for the last time at The Majestic Theater on April 16, 2023, to a glittering array of an, "Invite Only" audience. 

The Monkey Box played for the last time, as well. It has been 35 years of beautiful, extraordinary magic, and will be hard to top. 

I offer a heartfelt thank you for all the fantasy and melodic genius that I was allowed to experience (I hope my readers had the opportunity too). 

My sincere hope is: We will be graced in the future with a revival so that future generations may enjoy this wonder of our times. 

"PHANTOM, PLEASE KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU! 
I will think of you only...... 
YOU WERE INORDINATELY SEXY!" 

Carol-Rose Marshall, Author