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It’s all fun and games until the chandelier comes crashing down. Welcome back to the last post of From Silver Screen to Spotlight: the only blog that rates, reviews, and critiques movie musicals! This is it—the Point of No Return (pun intended)! By now, you can probably guess that I love musicals. Guilty as charged. I love Broadway and I love writing about it (hence the subject matter of this blog) Throughout the year, I have enjoyed writing about the various musicals I have had the honor to see on Broadway, but I have been waiting to review my favorite one. Well, given that this is our last passion blog of the year, I couldn’t think of a better musical to review than Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera.

A lifelong Phan of the Opera

For this final post, I wanted to take a different approach to how I normally write my blogs. If you have been following along, you know that I usually compare the stage version of a musical to its movie version, rate the two, give my critiques, and then give my opinion as to which one is better. However, as Phantom is so near and dear to my heart, I thought I would focus solely on the stage version and why I love it so much.

For as long as I can remember, my family has been a “Phantom Phamily.” My mom has seen Phantom seven times on Broadway, including once with the original cast. I remember listening to Phantom on every drive at just five years of age, and my dad even knows how to play “Music of the Night” on the piano. Phantom was one of my earliest exposures to Broadway, and it has continued to play an integral role in my life.

To say that Phantom is my favorite musical is an understatement. I first saw Phantom on Broadway in January 2018 for its 30-year anniversary on Broadway, and since then I have been obsessed. I have seen it 4 times on Broadway (twice in the front row) and even modeled my Sweet 16 after the Phantom’s iconic masquerade theme. I have collected several pieces of memorabilia over the years, practically memorized the soundtrack through and through, and even started learning how to play the theme on the piano. But enough about me and how much I adore this show. Let’s talk about why I believe that Phantom of the Opera is the best Broadway musical.

The Mega Musical is a Mega Hit

Before The Phantom even reached the Majestic Theater on Broadway, it first originated at Her Majesty’s Theater in 1986 on the West End in London. With its grandeur set, ostentatious costumes, spectacular lighting effects, and lush, pop-rock orchestrations, Phantom was the first mega-musical to adorn a stage. Two years later, Phantom opened on Broadway on January 26, 1988, at the Majestic Theater where it has been for 35 years. With 13,973 performances and counting, The Phantom of the Opera is the longest-running Broadway show in history. Since its opening 35 years ago, Phantom has won 7 Tony Awards (including the coveted Best Musical) and has grossed well over $1.3 billion. Sadly, this Sunday, April 16, will be Phantom’s last Broadway performance after years of dazzling audiences. Yes, I was gutted when I heard the news, and I am still incredulous that it is closing. However, I am confident that this won’t be the last we see of the Phantom (after all, he is always lurking).

Synopsis

Based on Gaston Leroux’s novel of the same name, The Phantom of the Opera tells the thrilling and romantic story of the allusive Phantom, a musical prodigy who dwells deep beneath an opera house in 18th-century Paris. Due to his facial deformities, the Phantom has been shunned by society, leaving him to reside alone with a mask to cover his insecurity. While dwelling in the opera house, the Phantom falls deeply in love with a promising young soprano, Christine. He takes her under his wing, giving her voice lessons from the shadows. As Christine’s fame grows, she is rekindled with an old childhood friend, Raoul, whom she falls deeply in love with. The Phantom descends into a jealous rage and immediately begins to terrorize the opera company with death threats and broken furniture, including the iconic chandelier. At its core, Phantom is your classic love triangle trope, but its underscore of thrill, mystery, and suspense is what separates it from the rest.

The Music of the Night

Phantom hands-down has one of the best cast albums of all time. I mean, it is written by THE Andrew Lloyd Webber, the same genius behind Broadway hits like School of Rock, Evita, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Cats. Say what you want about Webber, but there is no denying his talent and legendary status. After all, he is the man behind two of Broadway’s longest-running musicals (Phantom and Cats).

The score for Phantom is simply brilliant in every way. For starters, it is NOT an opera (so no need to worry about three acts of pure, operatic singing). Instead, Phantom is a rock opera, so elements of operatic singing are combined with guitar riffs and other rock elements to create an exciting and intoxicating score. One of my favorite moments in the entire show is in the overture. The minute you hear that strong downbeat play, you know you are in for a treat. Now, imagine that same downbeat with a cool guitar riff in the background. You are not in for a treat anymore; you are in for an entire meal. Simply put, the score is hauntingly beautiful and transportive. Some of my favorite songs include: “The Overture,” “Think of Me,” “Angel of Music,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “All I Ask of You,” “Masquerade,” “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again,” and “The Point of No Return.”

For the full album, check out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvOw_TOuxNY&list=PL8C6B25D4145274E0 (This is the album from my favorite cast, the 25th Anniversary Cast)

The Sets, Costumes, and Lighting

So, you want to know if the sets, costumes, and lighting effects are good. Let’s just say this: they don’t call Phantom a mega musical for nothing. I have seen upwards of 15-20 Broadway shows and I can say with full confidence that Phantom is in my top five for best lighting, costume, and set design. The lights alone give me chills every time I watch the show. The best part of the entire show is the Overture when the chandelier sparks to life and the set goes from drab to fab. I have seen Phantom 4 times, and I am STILL taken aback by the lights and set every time. I mean, just look at the boat scene if you still don’t believe me! There is nothing more beautiful than the candelabras shining amidst a sea of fog. Phantom won the Tony for Best Lighting and Costume design of a musical, so you know you are in for a delight. I will include some pictures of the costumes, set, and lighting just to show what words cannot.

 

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Curtains for Now

In the interest of time (and because I already wrote so much), I will stop here. If you couldn’t already tell, I absolutely love Phantom. It has been my favorite Broadway musical for five years now, and I doubt I will ever find a musical that can top it. If you have never watched Phantom, I implore you to watch the 25^th Anniversary live taping with my favorite cast. I also encourage you to check out Leroux’s novel, the album, and even the movie (even though it is nowhere as good as the stage version) if you are interested in learning more.

 Here is the 2023 Broadway Trailer for Phantom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ygnfxAoRO4 (Catch me watching this repeatedly)

Well, that is it! The last post of From Silver Screen to Spotlight! It has been a joy to share my love and affinity for theatre throughout the year, and I hope you were able to learn something along the way! But for now, it is time for me to take my bow. As they say in the theatre, it is curtains! So long!